An attack on a Hertfordshire charity shop has led to the installation of new facial recognition technology which has never before been used in the charity retail sector.
Tone Jarvis-Mack, founder of the Fertility Foundation, which funds IVF grants for individuals and couples who cannot afford treatment, was physically assaulted in his charity’s shop in Waltham Cross.
Jarvis-Mack’s shop has subsequently become the first in the charity retail sector to install a facial recognition system designed specifically for retailers, by Facewatch.
According to Facewatch, the system works by scanning the faces of individuals as they enter a store using special cameras that capture biometric images.
These images are then checked against a secure database of Subjects of Interest (SOIs) on a 'watchlist' - individuals with a known history of offending behaviour in retail environments. If there is a match, staff are sent an alert to secure mobile devices, giving them the opportunity to monitor or engage the individual before a theft or confrontation occurs.
Jarvis-Mack's charity shop has become one of the first examples of a non-profit retail space using biometric security as a crime prevention measure.
Jarvis-Mack said: “It gives us peace of mind. We’ve taken back control. We’re not trying to catch people; we want to prevent crime from happening in the first place.”
He added: “Retail crime is absolutely out of control. People assume we’re just given things for free, and so they think it's fair game, but that’s not the point, we’re here to raise money to help people have children.
"The abuse I received was shocking. Now, I need to do all I can to protect my staff, volunteers and customers.”
Levels of abusive behaviour and shoplifting on rise in charity shops
According to Civil Society’s Charity Shops Survey undertaken last year, charities across the UK reported rising levels of shoplifting, verbal abuse, and anti-social behaviour in their shops.
Among its findings, cancer charity Tenovus Cancer Care reported a “significant increase” in thefts, describing offenders as acting “more brazenly”, while hospice charity Longfield Community Hospice said that it had issued banning letters to repeat offenders and begun issuing personal alarms to staff.
The news comes at a time when a growing number of charity shops have also reported break-ins. Most recently, a St Barnabas Hospice reported that one of its charity shops in Lincoln was broken into overnight, causing significant damage. The incident is part of a reported spate of break-ins in the area and comes at an especially financially challenging time for the charity.
'No part of UK retail industry untouched by criminal activity'
Meanwhile, retail crime across the UK as a whole is surging.
In 2024, England and Wales recorded 516,971 shoplifting offences – a 20 per cent increase year-on-year.
The British Retail Consortium estimates that 20 million theft incidents occurred last year, costing the sector £2.2bn, with much of the increase linked to organised gangs.
Nick Fisher, CEO of Facewatch, said: “Sadly, no part of the UK retail industry is untouched by criminal activity today including our nation’s much-loved charity shops, which do so much to support vital causes.
“Through our Take Back Control campaign, we want to shine a spotlight on the real experiences retail workers face daily while on the shop floor.”
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