Police operation will blitz shoplifters in town centre
Tuesday, 14th September 2010.
Police have begun a crackdown on shoplifters in Haverhill town centre, which will run through until Christmas.
Uniform and plain clothes officers will be carrying out operations in conjunction with stores and community watch liaison officers.
Haverhill's police chief, Insp Chris Galley, said the town had experienced an increase in shoplifting lately.
"We are looking at ways of working with shops and other partners to address that," he said. "Part of it will be policing operations, both uniform and plain clothes."
He said police had had a joint meeting with St Edmundsbury Borough Council, crime reduction professionals within their own organisation, community watch liaison officers and representatives of the town's Shopwatch scheme.
"This will be an ongoing issue leading up to Christmas," said Insp Galley, "and obviously we will be stepping up our activity in the run-up to Christmas. The stores are keen to work with us."
A new officer is joining the Haverhill team on October 4 and he will be quickly drafted in to help.
PC Richard Oldroyd, who is currently serving as part of the response team at Haverhill, will be joining the town's Safer Neighbourhood Team, where he will be given the town centre beat, working along with PCSO Les Scott.
Part of his job will be to take the anti-shoplifting initiative forward.
PC Mike Potter of the Haverhill SNT said most of the items stolen tended to be either clothing or food, particularly meat.
Shoplifters could be anyone from children before or after school stealing sweets, to adults who are hard up or organised criminals using various devices to beat the shop's security systems.
Stores will be encouraged to do what they can to deter shoplifters, and to be more canny about where goods are placed to make them more difficult to steal.
The Shpwatch scheme is in operation, linking stores via radios, which are monitored by police and borough council CCTV staff.
Shoplifters
Uniform and plain clothes officers will be carrying out operations in conjunction with stores and community watch liaison officers.
Haverhill's police chief, Insp Chris Galley, said the town had experienced an increase in shoplifting lately.
"We are looking at ways of working with shops and other partners to address that," he said. "Part of it will be policing operations, both uniform and plain clothes."
He said police had had a joint meeting with St Edmundsbury Borough Council, crime reduction professionals within their own organisation, community watch liaison officers and representatives of the town's Shopwatch scheme.
"This will be an ongoing issue leading up to Christmas," said Insp Galley, "and obviously we will be stepping up our activity in the run-up to Christmas. The stores are keen to work with us."
A new officer is joining the Haverhill team on October 4 and he will be quickly drafted in to help.
PC Richard Oldroyd, who is currently serving as part of the response team at Haverhill, will be joining the town's Safer Neighbourhood Team, where he will be given the town centre beat, working along with PCSO Les Scott.
Part of his job will be to take the anti-shoplifting initiative forward.
PC Mike Potter of the Haverhill SNT said most of the items stolen tended to be either clothing or food, particularly meat.
Shoplifters could be anyone from children before or after school stealing sweets, to adults who are hard up or organised criminals using various devices to beat the shop's security systems.
Stores will be encouraged to do what they can to deter shoplifters, and to be more canny about where goods are placed to make them more difficult to steal.
The Shpwatch scheme is in operation, linking stores via radios, which are monitored by police and borough council CCTV staff.
Shoplifters
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