Thirty-three suspected shoplifters arrested across Essex

In the past two weeks, our officers have secured 43 charges of shop theft against 22 people plus another four charges of assault against retail workers.

In the past four weeks, 86 arrests have been made for shop theft* across Essex. Between 1 January and 2 June 2024, that figure rises to 627.

Between 20 May and 2 June, ten people were arrested in Chelmsford; seven in Colchester; four in each of the Southend, Tendring and Thurrock districts; three in Basildon; and one in Harlow. That’s a total of 33 arrests.

Cases involving eight people are still being investigated. Two will receive community resolutions and one has been cautioned.

While many of the arrests are made by officers locally, our specialist Business Crime Team works with them to apply for criminal behaviour orders against the most persistent offenders.

* 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.

Essex Police Business Crime Team

Our Business Crime Team specialises in supporting businesses, working to build relationships with independent shops and retail chains, explaining how they can report crime to us and, just as importantly, what will happen when they do. 

They help to identify risks in the workplace, providing crime prevention, fraud and cyber-crime advice and strengthening links with businesses and partners, including local community safety partnerships, Essex Chambers of Commerce and the Essex Federation of Small Businesses. 

Working with the National Business Crime Centre, the team share nationally-identified crime trends and best practice with our business community. And they have also developed a comprehensive guide to business crime prevention which identifies steps business-owners can take to protect themselves and their properties. 

For more information about how our business crime officers can help your business, visit our Business Crime pages.