Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, has welcomed news that Thames Valley Police has delivered a 98% increase in charges for shoplifting offences across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes.
Matthew said: “I’m pleased to see real progress in tackling shoplifting with an increase of over 90% in charges for shoplifting offences across the Thames Valley.
“At the start of the year, I pledged to turn the tide on retail crime in the Thames Valley with the publication of my Retail Crime Strategy. The Strategy set out a series of actions to tackle shoplifting, retail crime and violence towards shop workers, including bolstering Thames Valley Police’s operational capacity with the creation of a Business Crime Team within the Force to identify prolific offenders and improve investigations.
“Combined with an increase in the visible presence of police officers and PCSOs in retail spaces through Operation Purchase, this operational focus on retail crime is clearly paying dividends.
“However, as with all crime, enforcement forms only one part of the response. A core part of my Retail Crime Strategy was to make reporting shoplifting offences easier and more efficient for retailers. To facilitate this, I funded the rollout of Disc, an information-sharing and reporting platform which allows retailers to report and access information about crime such as shoplifting and anti-social behaviour (ASB).
“The app is now available, free of charge, to businesses in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes.
“Over 500 premises across the Thames Valley have already signed up. This is an excellent start but the more retailers that use the platform and feed in vital intelligence, the better the policing response will be.
“I know the sector has historically had a lack of confidence in the police response to retail crime but I hope these latest figures demonstrate that, in the Thames Valley at least, we are working hard to improve the police response to these offences.”
Statistics from Thames Valley Police show that charges for shoplifting offences have increased 98% from 1 April 2024 – 6 September 2024 when compared with the same period in 2023.
Community Policing Command, Chief Inspector Stewart Codling, said: “These statistics highlight the progress we are making in dealing with this issue, but our work doesn’t stop here.
“We will be focused on working with our partners and communities to create a hostile environment for those who commit retail crime.
“Our local neighbourhood policing teams will continue to dedicate focus under Operation Purchase on targeting offenders as effectively as possible and we will do all we can bring them to justice.”
The statistics have been shared at the start of Safer Business Action Week, a week of action that brings together retailers, business groups like Business Reduction Partnerships (BCRPs) and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), and the police to deliver targeted intervention in retail spaces in addition to a range of crime prevention activity.
The PCC is participating in various activities as part of the week including promoting Disc to retailers in Didcot today, Monday 14 October, alongside TVP officers and staff, joining the Banbury neighbourhood team on patrol in Banbury town centre tomorrow, Tuesday 15 October, and speaking at a meeting of the Buckinghamshire Business Group.
Retailers interested in signing up to Disc should email Oliver Fletcher, Partnership Manager, Thames Valley Business Crime Reduction Partnership, at oliver.fletcher@thamesvalley.police.uk.
