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Our specialist Business Crime Team works with retailers to encourage them to report shop thefts and assaults of shop staff to us.
And, in the past week, Essex Police officers have arrested 32 people on suspicion of shoplifting, with 20 subsequently being charged with a total of 39 shop theft offences. Two have also been charged with related assaults.
Under the Open For Business, Closed For Crime initiative, our dedicated business crime officers work with retailers and other businesses to encourage them to report crime to us – whether it’s stealing or the abuse or assault of staff.
Sergeant Christian Denning, of our Business Crime Team, says:
“Thanks to our Open For Business, Closed For Crime campaign, retail staff now have more confidence to report thefts, violence and abuse.
“Everyone has the right to go to work without the threat of being abused or assaulted.
“We will investigate shop thefts, assaults and anti-social behaviour and, where we have the evidence, we will put offenders before the courts.
“Reporting incidents provides evidence of patterns of offending behaviour which can be used in court to apply for criminal behaviour orders to be imposed on persistent and prolific shoplifters.”
Eight 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, requested to take a saliva test in custody for cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin.
Christian says:
“People often steal to fund their drug habit so, if people test positive for Class A drugs, they will be referred to a specialist drug treatment programme to address the root causes of their offending.
“In this way, not only are we dealing with the offenders themselves but we are seeking to turn them away from drug use and the need to steal in the first place.”
Seven people were arrested in each of the Chelmsford and Colchester districts between Monday 26 February and Sunday 3 March for shop theft. Six were arrested Southend, four in Thurrock, three in each of the Harlow and Basildon districts and one in each of the Brentwood and Castle Point districts.
Of the 32 people arrested last week, our Business Crime Team will be seeking a criminal behaviour order against one of them and one will be put before the courts for breaching their CBO.
CBOs are designed to tackle the most serious and persistent anti-social individuals where their behaviour has brought them before a criminal court. They also tackle the underlying causes of offending and, where appropriate, require offenders to engage in treatment services, such as drug and alcohol addiction support.
Two people arrested last week were cautioned and two accepted a community resolution. To receive a community resolution, the offender must admit their guilt and carry out the resolution agreed by the victim and the investigating officer.
Cases involving six people arrested last week are still being investigated and no further action will be taken against two others.
Between 1 January and 3 March 2024, our officers made a total of 282 arrests for shop theft.*
* 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.
For more information about Open For Business, Closed For Crime and for specialised crime prevention advice, visit our Business Crime pages.
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