Mitie secures five-year extension of Co-op partnership

• Mitie has extended its security partnership with the Co-op for a further five years, providing security and maintenance services to more than 2,300 stores, plus Co-op’s 800 funeral care homes
• Co-op has seen a reduction in overall retail crime in its stores UK-wide, including lower levels of anti-social behaviour and abuse towards store workers
• The new agreement builds on the successful partnership and also sees specialist security officers deployed, including new dedicated response officer roles created to support stores with localised issues and keep high streets and communities safer   

Mitie, the facilities management and transformation company and private security provider, has extended its contract with Co-op to provide security, alarm monitoring and crime and intelligence services across its more than 2,300 stores and more than 800 Funeralcare branches. The contract was originally awarded to Mitie in 2018, with the extension now taking it to 2030 – supporting Co-op with fostering safer communities.

The new contract will see Mitie continue to play a vital role in protecting Co-op’s colleagues, customers and its estate, ensuring that stores offer a safe and welcoming environment for all. The contract employs hundreds of Security Officers who are equipped with body-worn cameras enabling cutting-edge two-way communication with dedicated Security Control Centres (SOC). These are located at Mitie’s Intelligence Security Operations Centres (ISOC) in Northampton and, Northern Ireland, where interactive CCTV feeds, fire and intruder alarms and Co-op’s body-worn cameras are live-monitored and managed around the clock.

Mitie also provides covert guards which are specially trained to detain criminals and support Co-op with their pioneering work with local police through partnerships which are in place across the UK. These measures are contributing to a reduction in overall retail crime seen in Co-op stores UK-wide, including lower levels of anti-social behaviour and abuse towards store workers.

Mitie’s technology-led approach enables rapid response to store incidents and supports police forces in their work to tackle retail crime by monitoring crime trends and creating case files which can be shared with the police to support the conviction of organised crime groups and prolific offenders. This work also further strengthens contributions to community safety – making a tangible difference to the impact of crime in communities across the UK.

As part of the extended contract, Mitie have also created a new team of who will be deployed to stores identified as having localised and persistent crime. These Elite Response Officers will work with Co-op stores to provide focussed guidance and support to ensure safer and enjoyable environments to work and shop in.

Jason Towse, Managing Director, Business Services, Mitie said: “Extending our existing partnership with the Co-op means more than security, it’s about creating safer communities. Supporting Co-op’s significant footprint of stores across the country, our elite teams and experienced officers, backed by intelligence are making stores safer for millions of people every day.

This partnership is also testament to the power of collaboration in tackling retail crime, an area we are working together to combat. By combining frontline expertise with smart technology, and close cooperation with police, we’re able to identify potential threats quickly and ensure the right resources are in place, making a real difference where it matters most.”

Sally Hinchliffe, Co-op Security Manager, added: “Co-op is dedicated to protecting our colleagues, reducing crime in our stores and backing British high streets and communities, and creating a safe and enjoyable shopping experience for all. Our successful partnership with Mitie plays a vital role in our approach to safety and security. While we have seen a welcome reduction in retail crime, there remains more to do, and so we are delighted to extend our industry leading partnership with Mitie.”

This contract extension builds on Mitie’s presence throughout the UK enabling safer communities for colleagues, customers and the wider public. Mitie works with the UK’s biggest retailers to help reduce the impact of crime across the nation, with over 27,000 Mitie security officers protecting some of the Britain’s biggest organisations, most iconic landmarks, retail stores and critical national infrastructure. Mitie’s officers, combined with real-time intelligence from dedicated ISOCs, help to prevent incidents before they happen and ensure that retail stores remain safe spaces for the neighbourhoods they serve.