FROM Essex Police: We know the effects of shoplifting are felt not just by businesses but by staff and customers, too, and we continue to work with retailers to bring offenders to justice.

In the past six months across Essex, our officers have made 706 arrests for shop theft*. 

When retailers provide us with CCTV and witness statements quickly, people are speedily put before a magistrates’ court, often the day after their arrest.

Penalties can range from fines, through criminal behaviour orders to jail sentences.

Sergeant Christian Denning and our specialist Business Crime Team work with retailers to encourage them to report shop thefts, assaults on staff and anti-social behaviour.

“Better evidence enables us to secure more charges against offenders, who then have to answer for their crimes in court,” he explains.

“In the past year, we’ve solved 700 more offences, than in the previous 12 months.”

Where arrests have been made, our business crime officers identify the most prolific offenders and the causes of their offending.

All suspected shoplifters are tested for cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin when they are brought into custody, under our drug test on arrest scheme. Those testing positive are required to attend assessments with specialist drugs workers to see if they are suitable to attend a treatment course to help them beat addiction.

We can also seek similar requirements to be included in the terms of criminal behaviour orders imposed by courts on persistent offenders, where appropriate.

Christian says Essex Police currently has 58 criminal behaviour orders in place against persistent shoplifters, running for between two and five years.

“We use criminal behaviour orders to try to break the cycle of re-offending,” he explains.

“We can do this by seeking to divert those who steal to fund their addictions towards drug and alcohol treatment programmes. 

“And we will ask the courts to include bans from certain stores or places as part of a CBO where we identify a pattern of behaviour. 

“We want shop workers to be confident that they can be protected from people who abuse them.

“Through our Open for Business, Closed for Crime initiative, we highlight the costly effects of violent and abusive behaviour retail staff suffer day to day, emphasising to them the need to report this behaviour to us and what will happen when they do.”

The team provides specialist crime prevention advice for retailers and businesses, to help them keep their stores and their staff safe and secure.

And they work on initiatives to reduce the demand for stolen goods. One is Operation Pedlar, where stores with off-licences pledge not to buy stolen goods for re-sale in their stores.

Christian says: “We are getting a good take-up for this scheme. We want to bring the illegal sale of stolen goods to the forefront of retailers’ minds and reduce opportunities for thieves to sell their ill-gotten gains, which gives them less reason to steal in the first place.

“Staff know they can refuse people entry to their stores if they are up to no good.

“And by shops displaying our posters, it alerts thieves to the fact that, not only will they not be able to get rid of the proceeds of their crimes, they will be reported to the police.”

So far, the team has visited five towns in Essex with more than 30 businesses signed up to our Responsible Retailer Agreement, which prohibits the purchase and sale of stolen items.

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