Retailers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are seeing major results in the fight against shoplifting thanks to the UK Partners Against Crime (UKPAC) reporting platform, launched in the two counties earlier this year with funding from Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones.
Since June, UKPAC intelligence and crime reports submitted through the SentrySIS-powered reporting system have supported the conviction of multiple prolific shoplifters, leading to 414 months (34 years and 6 months) of combined custodial sentences. Among them is one Hampshire offender who received a 21-month prison sentence after UKPAC evidence helped secure convictions for 93 shoplifting offences, 30 breaches of a Community Behaviour Order, two assaults on security guards, and three failures to appear in court.
These significant outcomes demonstrate the value of providing police with comprehensive, CPS-ready evidence packs – including CCTV, witness statements, business impact statements and incident logs – all submitted at the point of report via the UKPAC/SentrySIS platform. This process saves valuable police time, reduces duplication and enables officers to take faster, more targeted action.
Lymington: a local example of national impact
One of the strongest success stories so far is emerging from Lymington, where 31 retailers have joined the UKPAC platform. Shoplifting in the New Forest town has fallen sharply, with incidents dropping from 16 in January and 15 in February to just four in September and seven in October.
Since going live, UKPAC has received 54 reports from Lymington retailers, achieving a 100% investigation success rate. The platform has already assisted in charging and convicting one offender for 29 offences, and helped identify five known offenders travelling into the town from neighbouring areas.
To see the impact first-hand, PCC Donna Jones visited Lymington to meet store owners, local officers and members of the UKPAC team. Retailers described feeling safer, more connected to their neighbourhood officers, and more aware of emerging criminal activity thanks to the app. Many said the platform has strengthened their relationship with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and given them greater confidence in reporting crime.
A crime-fighting tool supporting businesses and policing teams
UKPAC provides retailers with a secure and easy-to-use reporting app — powered by SentrySIS technology — where incidents can be logged within minutes. Retailers can upload CCTV, images, receipts and evidence, while the system automatically generates MG11 witness statements, business impact statements and full CPS-ready packs without requiring a call to 101.
The platform’s intelligent linking engine connects prolific and travelling offenders across stores, towns and districts, giving police the information they need to identify patterns, build cases and take decisive action.
Behind the scenes, UKPAC’s independent Crime Intelligence Hub continually analyses reports, connects repeat offenders and ensures complete evidence bundles are returned to police ready for submission to court. This approach is already saving thousands of unnecessary police deployments, while providing a clearer picture of business crime across the region.
A partnership built on stronger relationships
PCC Donna Jones praised the work taking place in Lymington, highlighting the improved communication and strong partnership now developing between retailers and local officers. She noted that UKPAC has helped build confidence among businesses, many of whom report feeling significantly safer and better supported since joining the platform.
Gareth Lewis, Chairman of UKPAC, echoed this, describing Lymington’s retailers as a proactive and engaged community who have fully embraced direct-to-police reporting. He emphasised that the platform not only strengthens investigations locally, but also helps identify offenders travelling from other towns who may otherwise have gone undetected.
A national picture of retail crime
The British Retail Consortium’s Crime Survey 2025 identified Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary as delivering the most effective police response to retail crime anywhere in the UK.
Nationally, retailers experienced an estimated 20.4 million shop theft incidents, representing £2.2 billion in losses. With only around 10% of retail crime currently reported to police, the true figures are believed to be significantly higher.
Platforms like UKPAC — powered by SentrySIS — are helping bridge this reporting gap by making reporting simpler, evidence stronger and partnership working more effective.
Find out more
Join UKPAC here: www.uk-pac.com/sign-up
Learn more about SentrySIS technology at: www.sentrysis.com
Read the PCC’s version of this news story here: www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk/ukpac-lymington