Eighty more shop theft charges across Essex

Officers secured a total of 80 shop theft charges last week after arresting 29 people on suspicion of shoplifting, as they strive to make shopping safer for all.

Fifteen people have been charged so far, with one of them, Dawn Brooker, 39, of Hertford Road, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, appearing in court on Saturday 24 February charged with 51 offences, spanning five months. She will next appear in court on 13 May.

One person has additionally been charged with assaulting a shop worker. And two were charged with breaching criminal behaviour orders previously imposed on them.

One, Kerry Arloff, 33, of Nickleby Road, Chelmsford, was jailed for 24 weeks on Saturday 24 February by Chelmsford magistrates for breaching a five-year CBO imposed on 29 January this year.

The second, Charlie Hunt-Wragg, of High Street, Maldon, has been remanded on bail to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 9 April. He is charged with two counts of shop theft from the Co-op in New Street, Chelmsford, and two counts of breaching a three-year CBO imposed in August 2023 which banned him from entering any Co-op store in the city of Chelmsford.

Seven people were arrested in the Colchester district; six in Chelmsford, three in each of the Basildon, Harlow and Thurrock districts; two in each of Castle Point, Southend and Tendring; and one in the Brentwood district between 19 & 25 February.

Between 1 January and 25 February 2024, our officers have made a total of 250 arrests for shop theft.*

Sergeant Christian Denning, of our specialist Business Crime Team, says:

“People rightly expect to feel safe at work and when they are out shopping.
“Shoplifters threaten that sense of wellbeing.
“People steal from shops for many reasons but their effect on the people they encounter, whether that be retail staff or customers, is the same.
“We always seek to secure charges where we can and we apply to the courts for criminal behaviour orders in the cases of more persistent offenders, seeking bans from the stores they target the most.
“But we also recognise that some people steal to feed an addiction. So we work with partner agencies to try to divert offenders from dependence on drugs and alcohol which is at the root of their criminal activity.
“Everyone arrested for shop theft in Essex is required to take a test for Class A drugs and, if they test positive, they are required to attend an assessment with one of the three drugs treatment charities we work with.
“Criminal behaviour orders can also include requirements to attend drug and alcohol treatment sessions.”

Three people tested positive in custody last week for cocaine, crack cocaine or heroin and will be required to attend an assessment with a drugs treatment worker.

Two people arrested last week were cautioned for shop theft. Three agreed to community resolutions. Cases involving four others are still being investigated and four arrests resulted in no further action.

* Arrests for shop theft. This relates to the number of arrests our officers have made. A person may have been arrested more than once for theft from a shop during the time period. And they may have been arrested for more than one offence.

How you can help

If you have evidence such as CCTV or dashcam footage or have information about any crime, please tell us. You can report online or, alternatively ring us on 101.

If it’s a crime in progress, ring 999.

We also provide businesses with specialist crime prevention advice so, if you want to find out more, please visit the Business Crime Team’s webpages.

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