Police teams are working together to tackle retail crime head-on after identifying the issue as a new top policing priority for the Nottingham City West area.
Neighbourhood policing officers are actively forging ahead with a multi-pronged problem management plan to prevent and crack down on shop theft in the Bilborough ward.
A number of initiatives are now being considered to address this issue, including introducing a Shopwatch scheme, which would allow for greater engagement between businesses and the police and enable the sharing of images of shoplifters known to the police. This would help put a face to the name of a suspect when an offence is reported.
It is all part of an ongoing strategic plan that has seen neighbourhood officers working collaboratively with one of Nottinghamshire Police’s proactive problem management coordinators, along with other partners, to tackle the issue.
The problem management plan was created in response to a number of reported thefts from Aldi, Heron Foods, and the Bracebridge Drive Co-op.
Our problem management coordinators, who proactively work to reduce and deter crime across the city and county, are part of the force’s Prevention Hub—a collaboration between force departments responsible for developing strategies to prevent crime and disorder throughout the city and county.
Neighbourhood Sergeant Ian Johnson said: “We have prioritised tackling retail crime in City West, and I want to reassure our local businesses, their staff, and their customers that we are continuing to work hard to gather all available evidence to identify suspects, deal with them effectively, and achieve the best possible outcome for our communities.
“The problem management plan has enabled us to collate and analyse information more efficiently to help us tackle this specific problem.
“Our problem management coordinator has been able to regularly review our plan and share advice, ideas, and knowledge of best practice to help us prevent and reduce retail crime.
“As part of our plan, we are now considering a range of tactics to help combat the issue and drive down offending.
“These include the potential development of a Shopwatch scheme, which would bring retailers together and open up channels of communication, enabling businesses to quickly share information on active offenders within the area, helping to stop potential shop thieves in their tracks.
“This would not replace our traditional policing, and we will still be patrolling in hotspot areas and dealing with any criminality we come across.
“It is so important that we continue to build trust and confidence with the public and our retailers so that they keep reporting information to us and we can take appropriate action.
“We are here to help and remain committed to serving and supporting our communities and tackling issues that we know matter most to people.”
If you see something suspicious in your area, please do not hesitate to contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or, in an emergency, dial 999.
Alternatively, people can report to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
• Police presence at incident on London Road for most of the day
