A new process being used by Nottinghamshire Police is enabling officers to secure charges against shop thieves more efficiently, bringing offenders before the courts more quickly while freeing up police time to focus on keeping communities safe.
Since the start of October 2025, 119 people have been charged with a total of 244 shop theft offences through a direct charging scheme that is now being used across the force.
As a result, at least 238 hours of officer time have been saved and reinvested into frontline policing and community safety.
The scheme reduces the time officers spend dealing with adult shop theft suspects by removing the need for interviews in cases where there is clear and overwhelming evidence.
This allows cases to progress more quickly through the criminal justice system.
Superintendent Chris Pearson said Operation Retail has strengthened the force’s response to retail crime investigations by introducing a more efficient charging process.
He said the approach ensures offenders are charged and brought before the courts more swiftly, while also allowing officers to spend more time on patrol and visible in local communities. He added that tackling retail crime remains a key priority for Nottinghamshire Police, supported by targeted operational activity, including arrests made over the Christmas and New Year period.
Superintendent Pearson said the force is committed to dealing robustly with those who cause the greatest harm to the retail sector and ensuring offenders are held accountable for their actions.
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Chief Inspector Steven O’Neill said the police continue to work closely with retailers, partners and the public to disrupt and dismantle organised retail crime groups. He said many offenders are prolific shoplifters who repeatedly target local businesses to fund drug or alcohol addictions.
He added that initiatives such as the Open 2 Recovery project aim to reduce reoffending by addressing the underlying causes of crime, supporting rehabilitation for individuals entrenched in substance misuse and whose lifestyles cause harm to communities.
Chief Inspector O’Neill also highlighted the role retailers play in helping police charge suspects more quickly by providing high-quality evidence.
He said the use of crime intelligence platforms allows partnered retailers to upload court-ready evidence directly to police systems, often bypassing more time-consuming reporting processes.
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Where evidence is strong and sufficient, suspects can be charged without the need for an interview. By reducing the time officers spend on custody duties and individual investigations where evidence is already comprehensive, more time can be dedicated to neighbourhood patrols and problem-solving work.
