Supermarket crime reporting plans scaled back

The touchscreens were introduced in an attempt to improve crime reporting

Computers used for reporting crime will no longer be installed at supermarkets, after unjustifiable "level of expenditure on the programme", a police and crime commissioner said.

In March, Bedfordshire police rolled-out the terminals in supermarkets to improve access to the force’s online services for those with limited internet and to encourage crime reporting.

Following a trial in libraries, terminals were installed in Morrisons supermarkets in Leighton Buzzard, Shefford and Bedford, at the University of Bedfordshire (Luton and Bedford), Cranfield University and the community centre in Caddington.

But the new police and crime commissioner (PCC) John Tizard feels supermarkets are not the most secure place for it.

John Tizard had initially welcomed the scheme in March but remained cautious of its success

Mr Tizard said: “I could not, hand on heart, justify the level of expenditure to roll out this particular programme.

“I don’t note much feedback from the people who may have used them.

“What we must ensure is that people, wherever they are in the county, have the most appropriate access that they need.

“And I’m not sure in the middle of a supermarket is the most secure place for [dealing with] quite difficult issues.”

Luton Borough Councillor Ghulam Abbas said he supported the decision.

“I don’t think that’s the way to go because you’re never going to have enough for everybody in Bedfordshire,” he said.

“I agree that we need to have some digital form of reporting. Maybe having some sort of app that people can download on their phones.”

Wayne Humberstone, acting chief executive at the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), said: “We’ve got Beds Connected app, there is a version of the terminal which we are going to begin to push out on this app.

“That is going to progress in the coming months.”