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Shoprite is proving to not only be SA’s biggest retailer but also in the ass-kicking business. The people with “the lowest prices you can trust” said in a statement on Tuesday that it has successfully secured over 1,700 years of prison time, including 24 life sentences, for criminals who crossed their path.

Shoprite did not elaborate on what the crimes were, but the retail giant confirmed that it assisted law enforcement agencies in successfully prosecuting a range of criminals, leading to a ‘year-on-year decline in armed robberies and burglaries’.

Shoprite also opposed bail for criminals, amounting to another 395 years and eight months of jail time for criminals.

Oswald Meiring, head of group security and loss prevention at Shoprite said in the statement, “Our top priority remains creating a safer environment for our customers and our employees. Securing arrests and sentences is also critical to deter and reduce crime.”

In 2018, Shoprite opened a command centre with a specialised team of detectives, data and crime analysts, and legal experts using technology, artificial intelligence, and a network of whistleblowers to safeguard their customers and assets. This centre keeps track of the group’s ‘diverse commercial assets, which include over 3,000 stores, a fleet of 1,000 trucks, and 1,500 truck trailers’.

Predictive and historical analysis of crime data, live information on strikes and protests, as well as security devices that can be triggered remotely, are just some of the ways in which criminal operations are stopped.

Shoprite works alongside SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority on all of its cases and has even brought in an expert criminal lawyer to assist in getting criminals off the street.