Hertfordshire Police is rolling out a new digital platform called Auror to help businesses in Hertfordshire, including Watford, report retail crime and share information with officers more effectively. The system, which can be used on desktop computers or mobile devices, allows retailers to document shoplifting incidents in a consistent way and directly pass evidence like CCTV footage, photographs of offenders, and witness statements to the police.
The introduction of the platform follows the creation of the Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s Retail Crime Forum in the summer of 2025. During the forum, local business owners told the police that they needed easier ways to report offences and better partnership working to tackle repeat offenders. To ensure all businesses can participate, the Commissioner has provided funding for independent and smaller shops to access a similar reporting tool called ShopSafe, while larger retailers are funding their own use of Auror.
The system uses artificial intelligence to connect individual incidents and build detailed profiles of repeat offenders. Police say this is particularly helpful in identifying those responsible for organised shoplifting. Recent figures suggest that the top 10 percent of offenders are responsible for 68 percent of retail crime across the UK, and these individuals are significantly more likely to be violent or use weapons during an incident. By building a clearer picture of criminal activity, police aim to improve their response times and increase the likelihood of bringing offenders to justice.
The force notes that retail crime has a significant impact on shops, retail workers, and town centres, with about 28 cases of shop theft or robbery recorded across Hertfordshire every day. The use of this technology has already shown results elsewhere in the UK. For example, some police forces using the platform have reported a 10 percent higher charge rate and significantly faster processing times for retail crime reports. Additionally, a recent investigation supported by the platform led to two men being charged with conspiracy to commit theft in connection with 43 shoplifting incidents from Boots stores across England and Wales, involving stock worth approximately £190,000.
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