New way to tackle shoplifters introduced in Devon after huge rise in thefts - with businesses urged to report crimes
2 April 2025, 10:34 | Updated: 2 April 2025, 11:07
CCTV shows moment plain-clothed police officers in Exeter swoop in on alleged shoplifter
Shoplifting is on the rise across the UK, but in Devon and Cornwall it’s at a much quicker rate than the rest of the country.
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Nationally, The Office of National Statistics has revealed shoplifting increased by 23 per cent in a year (between September 2023 - September 2024).
In Devon and Cornwall, it was twice that figure with a 46 per cent increase in that same time period. LBC joined police officers as they held an undercover operation with plain-clothed police officers to tackle repeat offenders.
Currently, six out of the top ten most prolific offenders are in jail or on bail waiting to be sentenced.
The aim of police conducting operations like this is to restore confidence in the business community who often do not report crimes thinking that the police will not act.
Read more: Tesco installs new ‘sliding’ anti shoplifting device on shelves that leave customers baffled
Sergeant Andy Walton of the new Devon Neighbourhood Support Team told LBC that’s simply not true: "We need the intelligence, we need the information to come from the public, because we police by consent and we can only go and deal with what we know about.
"If we don't know about it, we can't deal with it. So, we encourage both the public and shop owners and businesses within the area to report everything and anything to us. It helps build our intelligence picture."
Police in Exeter show how they conduct shoplifting operation
Every day one of the neighbourhood team is based in Exeter City Council’s CCTV control room.
They have access to more than 300 high quality cameras that scour the streets to sort out any problems to allow the public to go about their daily business.
And they also help enormously in the fight against retail crime - allowing police to cut down response times and be on the scene to apprehend offenders as soon as they walk out of the store.
Andrew Sharman is the EBAC Coordinator of Access to Business Against Crime and welcomes the heavy police presence on the city streets: "You know, visible policing is so, so important to community safety. Everyone feels reassured when you see them out there.
"We have to build that partnership, we have to build that community, because that's where the reassurance comes in, that's where the confidence comes in."
By the end of the day, six people were searched.
Police officer keeps a careful eye on shoplifting operation
From this, two were found to have stolen goods which were returned to the stores. As they were under 18, the individuals were referred to a youth justice team to prevent reoffending.
There were also three safeguarding referrals and an illegal e-bike was seized.
When asked if it’s an "endless game of cat and mouse", Inspector Nathan Johnson said: "We know what shoplifting often comes from addiction but most of our successes around shoplifting are away from the city centre and it’s about our intelligence department that let us know what our top six offenders are for the month and then we will go and arrest them.
"We know if we can address our shoplifting, it will have an impact on the rest of the city."
Devon and Cornwall Police have been working hard in targeting repeat offenders who target stores on the high street.
The use of plain clothes officers patrolling the streets who are in regular communication with the team in the centre will provide a safer shopping experience in the city.
