The corner shop that’s turned to AI to halt thefts
BBC/Mark Ansell
The owners of a convenience store in South Yorkshire say they are using artificial intelligence (AI) in combination with CCTV cameras to catch shoplifters.
Kamal Singh, co-owner of One Stop K&D in Rotherham, said staff get an alert on their phone if items are put in pockets or bags, with CCTV footage immediately available to watch back. The doors of the shop can then be locked if required.
“We can leave the shop, we can be on the other side of the world and we can get an alert saying ‘shoplifter'”, Kamal said.
The store has 32 CCTV cameras and the AI software costs £300 a month, according to the business.
Donna Singh, co-owner of the shop in Bramley, said the move had led to a reduction in thefts.
She said: “Before we had AI, when do you know that anybody’s been in shoplifting?”
“If they’ve just been in and picked that packet of sweets up and you’ve not seen that, if you turn your eyes away from the camera and you don’t see that, how do you know that you’ve had a shoplifter in there?
“With the AI it lets you know straight away.”
BBC/Mark Ansell
When they expanded the shop two years ago, Kamal said they wanted a way of keeping an eye on customers.
“Before we only had one aisle you could see the shop from the till, now it’s a lot larger,” he said.
“That’s why I got AI into it. And the staff are not constantly making customers feel uncomfortable by watching them because the camera is watching – they can see exactly what they [customers] are doing.”
BBC / Mark Ansell
Despite the cost to the business, Kamal believes the system is good value for money in their case.
“When somebody’s taking two jars of coffee, that’s £16 in one go,” he said.
“It takes them 30 seconds to put it down their trousers and try to walk out.”
He added: “It’s beneficial – for £10 a day it pays itself off.”
The shop owners recognised some people may have privacy concerns about their CCTV cameras.
“Some people might call it Big Brother,” he explained.
“If you don’t want to be watched on cameras, don’t come into shops.
“If you’re not a shoplifter, you’ve nothing to worry about. We don’t sit here looking at the cameras 24/7. We only check the cameras when the alert comes up.”
The pair said they were so frustrated with people attempting to steal that they had also shared some CCTV clips on social media.
“I want the word to get out that you can’t get away with it, we are going to name and shame you,” he added.
South Yorkshire Police has been approached for comment.
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