A powerful new crime reporting platform is now live across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with 22 Sports Direct stores already signed up thanks to strategic funding from Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones.
At the centre of this initiative is UK Partners Against Crime (UKPAC), which has chosen SentrySIS as its internal platform to handle crime reporting, intelligence sharing and offender tracking. Developed in the UK, SentrySIS is a secure, cloud-based digital policing solution that gives police, businesses and local authorities the tools to report, manage and analyse incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour in real time.
With £177,548 of PCC funding in place, more than 120 businesses across both counties are already using the system free of charge until April 2026. Major brands like the Frasers Group, including Sports Direct, are early adopters of the platform, which was launched publicly at Whiteley Shopping Centre in Fareham.
SentrySIS underpins UKPAC’s entire approach to business crime prevention and enforcement. The platform enables retailers to submit incidents directly online, attach CCTV, photographs and notes, and instantly alert police and other nearby users. These digital reports are compiled into intelligence packages that support fast, evidence-based action by law enforcement.
During a pilot scheme in Portsmouth, SentrySIS played a pivotal role in bringing 58 prolific offenders to court, supported by more than 900 crime reports logged on the platform.
According to the British Retail Consortium Crime Survey 2025, only 10% of retail crime is formally reported. With over 20 million incidents of shoplifting in the past year alone, and £2.2 billion in associated losses, digital tools like SentrySIS are being recognised as essential for reducing both the burden on police and the impact on businesses.
What is UKPAC and how does it work?
The platform provides businesses with a secure, online crime-reporting tool that is simple to use and fully compliant with data protection laws. The system uses smart technology and artificial intelligence to track patterns of criminal behaviour, helping police identify repeat offenders, gather evidence, and take faster action against repeat offenders of shop theft and crimes against businesses.
UKPAC’s independent crime intelligence hub tracks repeat offenders across the two counties and beyond, linking crime reports and sending information back to police with supporting evidence for them to submit to court. It will save thousands of police deployments and also means retailers won’t need to call 101 to report a crime.
UKPAC will provide support for retailers, including advice on crime prevention and help with civil prosecutions as well as Dedicated Business Crime Liaison Officers (BCLOs) to improve communication between businesses and police.
What is SentrySIS and what are the benefits for end users?
SentrySIS is designed to bridge the gap between businesses and the police by offering a robust and easy-to-use crime management tool. The system is already trusted by police forces, business crime reduction partnerships, and private sector organisations across the UK.
Some of the key features of the SentrySIS platform include:
- Real-time crime reporting: Users can submit full incident reports online, removing the need to call 101.
- Secure evidence submission: Photos, CCTV footage and witness statements can be uploaded and securely stored.
- Offender database and pattern analysis: The platform uses detailed analytics to identify repeat offenders and link them to multiple crimes.
- Live alerts and notifications: Retailers receive updates when offenders are brought to justice or linked to other incidents nearby.
- Mobile access: Staff can use the system from smartphones or tablets, whether on the shop floor or off-site.
- Compliance-ready: Built with GDPR and UK data protection compliance in mind, keeping both businesses and police within the law.
Key benefits for end users:
- Time & effciency savings for both police and businesses.
- Increased prosecutions based on better evidence.
- Improved community safety.
- Protection for frontline staff from abusive or threatening individuals.
- Faster communication between police and retailers.
- Peace of mind that action is being taken.
Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said:
“Shop theft affects retailers all over Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Shoplifting crimes have been going up year-on-year with the majority of shoplifting carried out by repeat offenders who target stores every day, leaving businesses feeling helpless, constantly fighting to protect stock and staff. It’s been an ongoing battle for support but UKPAC will help businesses who have been crying out for a simple way to report crimes and for assurances that they will be investigated.
“This is the biggest investment I have made so far to tackle retail crime. UKPAC gives businesses a simple way to report crime and provides police the evidence they need to catch offenders and put them before a court. It frees up police time, it means shopkeepers don’t have to ring 101 to report every crime, they can submit their own evidence and they will be automatically updated when offenders are brought to justice.
“Shopkeepers often know who their offenders are and this platform will give them peace of mind and reassurance that action is being taken. It will support retailers and protect staff from threats, abuse and violence. It will make your town centres safer, and help to drive down crime.”
Chief Inspector Marcus Cator added:
“Many incidents of shoplifting and associated criminality do not get reported to police by our wider retail communities. Even when they are reported, sufficient evidence is not always available to allow police to take effective action.
“Over the past year, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary has been working with UKPAC to test the ways in which we can improve our joint service, resulting in 58 repeat offenders in Portsmouth being prosecuted, thanks to detailed evidence of more than 900 crimes. The courts have supported strong sentences in these instances, which has had a real impact on reducing the crimes that these offenders commit. This reduces the need to deploy officers to gather the evidence where a deployment is not required, and enables them to take swift action with these investigations.”
UKPAC Chairman Gareth Lewis said:
“We’re proud to be working alongside Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones on this forward-thinking initiative to tackle business crime in Hampshire.
“The impact of business crime goes far beyond financial loss. It affects staff morale, customer confidence, and the overall sense of safety in our communities. By improving how incidents are reported and evidence is shared, we can support the police to take faster, more targeted action and reduce the disruption and harm caused to local businesses.”
More information about UKPAC and how it uses SentrySIS to protect businesses can be found at www.uk-pac.com and www.sentrysis.com.