Northamptonshire shoplifting cases up from 200 to 550 per month as cops urge retailers to ‘report, report, report’ at launch of 3-year plan
A dedicated team of officers and retail partners is hoping to get to grips with shoplifting as they start their three-year Retail Crime Strategy.
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Hide AdThe group is already spearheading a new focus on creating a hostile environment for shoplifters, a move that has already seen them step in to advise other forces who are keen to get a handle on the national problem.
The discrete team was set up in May to try to tackle the growing issue of brazen shoplifting, exemplified after a video of thieves sweeping food off the shelves in the BP Garage in Corby went viral.
The team began by encouraging more widespread reporting of shoplifting so they could understand where and why it was most prolific.
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Hide AdIn the 12-month period to February 2024, Northamptonshire Police recorded 4,695 shoplifting offences – a 30 per cent increase from the previous 12-month period.
It has meant that the number of shoplifting offences has risen recently from about 200 per month to 550 per month. Officers believe that this is a direct result of them encouraging businesses to have faith in them to tackle the problem head-on.
In the same period the force increased the rate of those receiving a positive justice outcome – a charge, caution or community resolution – for theft by 54 per cent.
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Hide AdThe launch of the new three-year strategy took place in Corby, a town where local police officers have already made headway on tackling the issue with a tough stance on repeat offenders.
It comes ahead of a week of action that will see hi-visibility patrols and outstanding wanted offenders brought into custody.
The force’s media team has also been regularly publishing the names of the worst offenders, a deterrent which has been welcomed shop workers.
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Hide AdChief Inspector James Willis said: “This is a three-year strategy to work with our partners to disrupt and reduce retail crime.
"The team we set up to try to tackle shoplifting has already made some good inroads.
"We know that businesses have more confidence to report crime, and the positive outcome rate has also gone up.”
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Hide AdOfficers have worked hard to get charging decisions through quickly, which has meant that defendants are before the courts for multiple offences within days and magistrates can get a clearer picture of the types of people they are dealing with. This has resulted in longer prison sentences for people who previously may have simply been fined.
The team now shares information across other force areas as many known criminals, including Heidi James from Corby, have been travelling across borders in order to evade detection.
As more shops introduce facial recognition technology to identify suspects, it’s still good, old-fashioned local communication that is proving one of the most effective deterrents.
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Hide AdJohn White, who manages Boots in Phoenix Parkway, said that shoplifting has taken a real toll on his staff during recent years. He said they, and others on the Phoenix Parkway retail park, had repeatedly fallen victim to violence and aggression.
"Somebody entering your livelihood, the company that pays your wages, and stealing things in such a brazen way shows the complete disregard these people have for retail workers,” he said.
"They just come in and say they’ll knife you if you challenge them so we leave a clear access route. Most retail staff won’t argue with them because it’s not safe and nasty things might happen.
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Hide Ad"We’ve had a guy pull a knife. He was apprehended so quickly because of our membership of the business crime partnership.
"They provide us with an app that means we can send our evidence straight through to the police and you don't have a member of your staff waiting on the phone.
"I’ve worked in this town for 20 years but other towns are the same. You just have to use your common sense.”
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Hide AdThe Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership links the criminal justice system with shops and the council. It encourages close working between members to help share information in real time, which has been a key component in improving shoplifting outcomes.
The partnership’s Neil Cowley said that he believed hardened shoplifters, who sometimes steal multiple times a day, were semi-organised criminals.
He said: “With the volume of items that they’re stealing, we believe they are going and selling it to smaller retailers who then sell it on.
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Hide Ad"They’re the shoplifters who are now getting prison sentences. Ten per cent of the people are causing 90 per cent of the problem.
"I don’t expect them to turn around their lives in prison but at least it gives the retailers a breather from threats of violence.
"We now encourage retailers to report, report, report so we can get a clear picture of what’s going on.
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Hide Ad“We’ve gone from 42nd out of 43 police forces up to 12th in terms of positive outcomes.
"We’ve got other crime partnerships ringing us asking ‘how are you doing it’?”
Shops can now sign up to a countywide app which helps them to allows them to report shoplifting directly and swiftly and to upload all their evidence in one go. It means they don’t have to spend their valuable time on the phone to police officers. In some cases it has meant that the evidence is so strong that shoplifters admit their crimes before interview and are before the courts within days.
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Hide AdPaul Franks, a retired police detective who now works alongside Neil in the crime partnership, said: “We have a close working relationship with the police and now we can go to them with a complete package that means suspects don’t need to go through lengthy interviews.
"Nine times out of ten when they come into custody the first thing they say is ‘can I see the CCTV’ and we have it there to show them.”
Sharan Wildman, the force’s Retail Crime Team sergeant, said that the rise in reporting has helped officers to find their most prolific offenders and bring them to justice.
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Hide AdShe said: “We’re working with the retailers to enhance the intelligence picture and to get the best evidence possible to support prosecutions.
"It’s about raising the profile of shoplifting within the community. We are also working with our partners to secure criminal behaviour orders.
"They impose conditions on prolific offenders, for example Tashaun Pink who was recently banned from going to all branches of Greggs.”
You can read the more about the Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership here.