Officers secure 52 charges for shoplifting across Essex

Twenty-nine people have been charged with a total of 52 counts of shoplifting in Essex during the past fortnight.

Four were also charged with assaulting retail workers.

A total of 45 people were arrested for shop theft* in Essex between 1 & 14 July 2024: 15 across the Southend district, 11 in each of the Chelmsford and Tendring districts; and eight across Thurrock.

Our officers have made 98 arrests for shop theft in the past four weeks. Between 1 January and 14 July 2024, that figure rises to 775.

As well as the charges against 29 of those we arrested, investigations are ongoing in nine other cases. Two people were cautioned, one person received a community resolution and no further action will be taken against four others.

* 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.

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