Radios offer helping hand to charity
Charity shops in an area of Newcastle have been given free radios to help keep their premises safe and secure from thieves.
Charity shops in an area of Newcastle have been given free radios to help keep their premises safe and secure from thieves.
Traders taking part in the successful Shopwatch scheme usually pay out a small amount to rent the radios from service provider Apex Radio Systems Ltd.
Now Neighbourhood Beat Manager PC Kelly Hetherington has got the company on board to give charity shops in the Grainger Street, Clayton Street and Nun Street areas the radios for a free trial period. And she is confident the charity shops will be able to take part in the scheme permanently.
She said: Shopwatch schemes across the force are incredibly successful and the fact Apex has agreed to the free trial for the charity shops in this area of Newcastle is excellent news.
The shops raise money for good causes and often don`t have the spare money to take part in schemes such as this. But its important they take advantage of every available security option and having Apex agree to the trial will give them some added security and peace of mind.
Im working hard to find a way to continue their involvement in the scheme once the trial is up so hopefully all of them will become permanent members of Shopwatch.
Through Shopwatch, shops can be in radio contact with each other to pass on information about problem customers and allow them to contact police if there are major difficulties or a crime in progress.
In Newcastle City Centre, the Shopwatch retail community has approximately 80 members and everyone looks out for one another. It`s also a direct link to Northumbria Police CCTV operators based at Market Street.