Four prolific shoplifters from Bath have been charged with multiple offences following a police operation to disrupt crime affecting businesses across the region.

Police worked with Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), the private security industry and business-led action groups to help tackle crime force-wide as part of their response to the nationwide increase in reported shoplifting offences and abusive behaviour towards store staff.

Across Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Somerset, officers carried out a mix of plain-clothed and uniformed patrols targeting shoplifting, burglary and anti-social behaviour.

Officers visited shops and spoke to members of the public and staff about community safety, security and reporting issues, and they had a pop-up ‘police shop’ in Broadmead, Bristol. Days of action led to four arrests in Bristol city centre and one arrest for four counts of theft in Yeovil.

These results follow the recent court appearances of four prolific offenders in Bath: 

This work doesn’t just happen during weeks of action. A team within the police’s Incident Assessment Unit is helping neighbourhood policing teams identify hotspot shops and prolific offenders. In one case, the team flagged an issue at a Taunton store over the summer. The store improved its security measures and officers focused on repeat offenders, leading to several arrests. All types of crime and incidents reported by the shop reduced by two-thirds, comparing July and August with September and October (to date).

Chief Inspector Rebecca Wells-Cole, force lead for business crime, said: “These crimes are often described as ‘low-level offending’, but their impact on both businesses and the wider community is huge.

“We take thefts from shops seriously and encourage store workers to report incidents. We do have to prioritise all calls based on the likelihood of someone coming to immediate harm, so any incident in which there has been violence and a suspect remains on the scene will be prioritised.

“Even when officers can’t attend, we’ll review lines of enquiry and are working to make it easier to report online. This includes uploading CCTV and the statements necessary to support our investigations in a timely way, with a focus on prolific offenders.”

Officers also work with partner agencies and community groups. In cases where an offender is vulnerable, they can be referred to support services or food banks. Where repeat and prolific offenders have been identified, officers encourage shops to issue civil banning letters, which, if ignored, can help provide evidence so that action can be taken under anti-social behaviour legislation.

Police say they’ve used this legislation successfully, obtaining court orders that can be used both to tackle unwanted behaviour, such as barring persistent offenders from certain shopping areas, and to require positive action, like engaging with support. Failing to comply with these orders can lead to jail time.