Lincolnshire Police are taking shop lifting ‘more seriously’, the man who oversees them has said.
It follows a trial by the force of targeting the people most responsible for thefts in certain areas.
The meeting was told that was instigated in Grantham and had proved so successful it is being rolled out across the country as best practice.
“The force are taking it more seriously”, he told the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Panel last week. “There’s threats of violence to shop staff as well as the thefts going on.
“It’s quite difficult if you’re in a shop in a small market town as the thief has often gone by the time officers arrive.
“We are working with businesses and with technology, so when there is good CCTV for example, it can be followed up and action taken later.”
Lincolnshire County Council member Paul Skinner told Mr Jones shop owners he’d spoken to often don’t get a response from the police.
“If there was an immediate threat or a prolific offender that has a history, I’d expect that retailer to call 999 as it’s a crime in action and you would expect, subject to demands on the police, they’d send someone as quickly as possible,” Mr Jones responded.
“If you’ve children run in, take some crisps and then run out again you’re unlikely to get a response.
“It doesn’t mean it’s not theft and it shouldn’t be recorded, of course it should, but you have to identify the individual so you can put measures in place to stop it from happening.
“It will very much depend on what’s going on in the control room at the time.
“If you have a certain number of officers and they’re on other jobs, it’s up to the control room to decide which is the most serious job it has to send individuals to.
“They will endeavour to get there as much as possible.”
