Safety idea shortlisted for international award
A unique partnership safety idea to protect valuables while shopping in supermarkets has been shortlisted for an international award.
The Trolley Safe is a device fitted onto a shopping trolley into which personal items such as purses or handbags can be placed while shopping. The safes were trialled at a store in Nuneaton last year and proved to be successful.
During the trial 19% of observed customers used the trolley safe, 85% of survey respondents said they would use the trolley safe again and 93% of people reported a reduction in the fear of bag theft when using the trolley safe.
The idea was inspired and penned by Peter Guillaume of Warwickshire Police Business Crime Team and Tony Archer from Warwickshire County Council’s Community Safety Team.
The pair considered how opportunist thieves were known to operate within supermarkets and concluded that the number of such thefts could be reduced, if a barrier could be created between shoppers’ valuables and prospective thieves.
Working with German trolley manufacturer Wanzl - which has a Leamington- based UK headquarters - and with support from Government Office for the West Midlands and Asda, a prototype safe was commissioned. A three month trial then took place at the Asda store in Nuneaton where 238 trolleys were fitted with the safe.
The idea was put forward for a GOLDSTEIN Award for Excellence in Problem Oriented Policing, which is based in America, and has now been selected as one of six finalists to be presented at their national conference in November.
Peter Guillaume, from Warwickshire Police, said: “This is great partnership activity which has the potential to make a big impact on the future design of shopping trolleys and crime prevention.
“I am delighted that we have been shortlisted for this prestigious award which recognises innovative and effective problem-oriented policing projects that have achieved measurable success in resolving recurring specific crime faced by the community and the police.”
Warwickshire County Councillor Richard Hobbs, portfolio holder for community protection added: “We are so pleased that the successful Trolley Safe project has been recognised in this way. The county council and our partners are always looking for new ideas like this one to help make Warwickshire an even safer place to live and to bring peace of mind to residents.”