Do CCTV and Security Guards Actually Reduce UK Shoplifting? The Evidence
De Flow AI Team
May 20, 2026•7 min read
Share this article:
Do CCTV and Security Guards Actually Reduce UK Shoplifting? The Evidence
The honest answer: partly
CCTV deters some opportunists and helps investigations, but passive footage rarely stops theft in the moment. Guards help where present — but can’t watch every aisle, and theft simply migrates to blind spots. With incidents at record highs (BRC), "more cameras" alone hasn’t reversed the trend.
The missing piece: attention
The limiting factor isn’t cameras — it’s the human attention to watch them all, all the time. That’s what AI provides.
Make existing cameras smarter
De Flow AI layers onto your current CCTV, watching every feed continuously and alerting staff to genuine risks via real-time alerts — turning a passive recorder into an active deterrent without ripping out hardware.
Cut Shrink in Your UK Stores
See how De Flow AI's computer-vision loss prevention spots theft, fraud and risky behaviour in real time — and pays for itself within months.