Bolton shoplifting team brings up 50 charges in two month blitz on retail offences

Bolton’s dedicated shoplifting team is continuing to produce crime-busting results in the town centre, making arrests and supporting the retail world through drop-ins and meetings.

Across August and September, the team secured 27 arrests, from which 50 charges were brought – 38 for shoplifting / theft offences, six for failures to appear at court, five CBO breaches, and a burglary offence.

Further offenders located by the team throughout that time resulted in out of court disposals, youth offending team referrals, and signposting to charity and partner services.

While the two month snapshot gives an insight into how many arrests the team regularly make, the work is constantly ongoing - with five arrests and 15 charges for shoplifting offences in just 24 hours at the weekend (October 12-13).

The Bolton shoplifting team – which is comprised of new recruits being taught by seasoned officers – sees the younger officers deployed around Bolton for a ten-week period, before moving on to further operations or patches. The new officers are able to see through a crime from arrest to charge and sentencing, helping them learn the basics of policing while tackling shoplifters.

Bolton subsequently receives dedicated shoplifting officers, while the force benefits from officers being trained and tutored to a high crime-tackling standard.

The team is ably overseen by a dedicated Sergeant and Inspector, who have developed relationships with retailers and businesses through regular meetings and intelligence assessments. They can then instruct officers where best to target their work and efforts.

The team is taking part in the National Business Crime Centre's (NBCC) Safer Business Action Week (SaBA Week), with a jam-packed schedule of activity as they continue to secure arrests and charges for retail offences in Bolton. This will include proactive patrols, locating offenders, and visiting premises – both to provide advice and to crack down on business offences in conjunction with partners.

Sergeant Jess Prudence, from GMP’s Bolton town centre, said: “Our shoplifting team are dedicated to cracking down on theft and retail offences, constantly honing their skills in crime prevention and securing arrests and charges.

“From an overarching perspective, we meet with local retailers when we can to discuss issues they may be encountering, and look to resolve those in the best way possible. Any retailers in the town centre should talk to local officers to see just how we can help them.

“Throughout Safer Business Action Week, you can expect to see plenty of officers about in Bolton – do feel free to talk to them about what they do and the issues you have been encountering.”