What is CHECKOUT?

It is an initiative established by Essential Edinburgh and Police Scotland. It is a retail information sharing system whereby “members” – Essential Edinburgh Business Improvement District (BID) levy-paying shops within the BID, or fee-paying members within the CHECK OUT operational area – share information between themselves and the Police.

The objectives of the initiative are to:-

  • Create a safe environment for those who work, live and visit the city centre
  • Prevent and detect crime
  • Assist in the apprehension and/or prosecution of offenders
  • Strengthen the relationships between the police and local businesses
  • Share information, where relevant, about shoplifters and others suspected of committing criminal acts

How does CHECK OUTwork?

The initiative is very simple and straightforward. If an incident occurs within a member’s premises they create an alert on the CHECK OUT website. The alert is then sent via email to all other members, which makes it very fast and effective.

When should I be sending information to CHECKOUT?

You should be informing CHECK OUT whenever:

  • Someone steals from your store regardless of the value of the theft
  • If someone is suspected of stealing from your store but was unsuccessful
  • Transactions are suspected of being fraudulent
  • To report suspicious activity or behaviour
  • To report any other criminal behaviour

OK, an incident has occurred in my store, how do I report it to CHECKOUT?

Log-in to the CHECK OUT website and create a new alert with a description of what happened. If you have CCTV in your store please attach a digital image of the suspect to the email. The size limit for image files is 5mb.

An incident has occurred but I can’t get CCTV images off our system right away. Should I wait until I have an image before I send an alert?

No, it is better if you share what information you have as quickly as possible through the CHECK OUT website and mention in your description that you will be updating with CCTV image later. If you don’t know how to work the CCTV then please find out. Images are crucial when circulating incidents to group members. A picture paints a thousand words and your images will make it far easier to identify the culprit.

Will I be breaching the Data Protection Act if I send out information like this to others?

A No, your store has agreed to the terms and conditions of the Information Sharing Protocol, which was drawn up with Police Scotland. This allows you to share this information legally with other CHECK OUT members.

If I share information through CHECK OUT, does that mean that I don’t have to report it to thepolice.

NO. CHECK OUT is an information sharing system between the shops and businesses.

You still need to report the crime to the police to allow them to investigate it.

What happens if I send an alert through CHECK OUT about an incident and I make a mistake in the description?

Don’t worry, errors will happen from time to time. Just log back into the CHECK OUT website and open your alerts. You can edit all previous alerts you have created within the last 31 days. Do ensure you resend the alert if the information has substantially changed.

If I recognise someone in a CHECK OUT alert what should Ido?

Log-in to the CHECK OUT website and add a comment to the alert. Include all the information you have. It might be that you know who the person is, or you recognise them from a similar incident in your store. You can and must share this information with the group. 

You should also contact Police Scotland to pass your suspicions on. You should take note of the police reference number and date from the relevant Check Out alert. You should then telephone Police Scotland on 101. Staff there will be able to deal with your call much easier if you have the police reference number so please have it ready before you phone. The police will ensure that the relevant officer is updated with this information to allow them to continue with the enquiry.

If I send an alert through CHECK OUT about an incident that happened in our premises, won’t it make us look bad?

Definitely not. Every other member of CHECK OUT has agreed to do just what you are being asked to do. By sharing information, we really can reduce and prevent crime.

Ok, so we won’t look bad in front of other shops and businesses, but the police will definitely think we are badly run?

CHECK OUT is a partnership between shops, businesses and the Police. The Police want us to share this information with each other and them. CHECK OUT has been successfully operating since 2009 and has shown that sharing this information can reduce and prevent crime. It can also assist the police in identifying offenders more quickly. Under reporting of crime is an issue and we all need to work together to tackle this by sharing all information.

I know someone who works in another shop, or branch, which is not part of CHECK OUT. Can I forward or share any of the information from the CHECKOUT alerts with them?

Absolutely Not. Unless the store has signed up to membership of CHECK OUT and agreed to the terms and conditions of the Information Sharing Protocol they cannot have any of the information. If you share this information you will be in breach of the terms and conditions of the Information Sharing Protocol and the matter will be reported toPoliceScotland. Rather than risk being prosecuted unnecessarily, suggest they complete the application form on the CHECK OUT website if the shop is within the CHECK OUT operational area. If the shop or branch is not within the CHECK OUT operational area, they are ineligible to join.

I am not sure if our CCTV system is registered with the Information Commissionaires Office or even if it needs to be. What should Ido?

The Information Commissionaires Office has a very informative website https://ico.org.uk with a good FAQ section which should help. You can also phone the help line on 0303 123 1113 and staff will be able to give you all the relevant information.

Can I use the CHECK OUT name publicly or display CHECK OUT branding within my shop as a deterrent?

The CHECK OUT brand is the property of Essential Edinburgh. To use the CHECK OUT brand agreement must be sought in writing and in advance of use: checkout@essentialedinburgh.co.uk