LAST week, Essex Police officers arrested 24 people on suspicion of shoplifting.
And 15 were subsequently charged with theft offences and other related matters.
Six people were arrested in each of the Harlow and Southend districts between Monday 4 and Sunday 10 December for shop theft, three were arrested in each of the Colchester and Tendring districts and one in each of Basildon, Braintree, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Epping Forest and Thurrock.
Sergeant Christian Denning and specialist business crime officers work with retailers and other businesses to advise them how to stop crimes from happening in the first place.
“We’re dedicated to supporting businesses across Essex and, through our Open for Business, Closed for Crime initiative, we also work with them to encourage them to report crime to us, whether it’s theft of goods or for abusing or assaulting staff,” he explains.
While most shop theft investigations are carried out by officers locally to bring offenders to justice, the Business Crime Team reviews every shoplifting arrest.
Last week, six people arrested also tested positive for Class A drugs under our drug test on arrest scheme, which sees adults we arrest for acquisitive crimes, such as shop theft, required to take a saliva test for cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin.
A positive test leads to an automatic referral for an assessment by one of the three drug treatment services we work with in Essex.
Three people arrested last week were cautioned for shop theft offences and three received community resolutions. Cases involving three others are still being investigated while no further action will be taken against another.
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