Shopwatch

Newark and Sherwood District Council and Nottinghamshire Police are working with Newark Town Centre Shopwatch to create better partnership working and try to reduce or prevent shop thefts and anti-social behaviour within or from your businesses. As part of this we have agreed to pay for active members to have access to the Schemelink app.

Schemelink is a data-sharing and communications portal designed in compliance with data protection law to protect retailers, staff and customers. The app’s features include:

  • Group chat – quick and effective way to make contact which is similar to WhatsApp.
  • Incident logs, which once submitted are sent through to all members similar to a feed on Facebook
  • Push notifications – these need to be activated to ensure you receive notifications as you would do for WhatsApp
  • Ability to poll about a ban rather than wait until the next meeting
  • Banned gallery – which includes a security check of individual watermarks for members. If images were shared inappropriately (either inside or outside of the system) it would be easy to discover who had shared them.
  • Each member can appoint temporary access to others within their shop for a period of 1 month. This can be renewed as necessary.

How do I join?

If you wish to sign up to this scheme please complete the Newark Town Centre Shopwatch application form. [362kb]. Once we receive this completed form you will be sent a voucher via email to log on to the scheme. When you register you will be able to take an information tour around the system. It is very user friendly and self-explanatory, but help will be available if you have any difficulties.

To assist those of you who do suffer with any Anti-Social Behaviour near or within your premises, we will be asking all active members to sign up to the Neighbourhood Watch Community Safety Charter. We will undertake further promotion of this in the new year but for now if you would like to have a look at what it involves, please visit their website. 

Is there a cost to join?

There is no cost to join for active members. An active member is a venue that is represented at a minimum of 75% of the Shopwatch meetings. Failure to attend will result in access to the app being removed. It is currently envisaged that there will be 6 Shopwatch meetings annually (details to be arranged).