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Shoplifters have been warned to expect to bump into a police officer should they target Bestwood’s stores.
Neighbourhood officers were out and about conducting patrols around the area’s shops throughout most of last week.
This was as part of a targeted operation to crackdown on shoplifting across Bestwood, following a recent spike in offending.
Police in the area have received nearly one shop theft report a day over the last month – 28 offences in the space of 30 days.
The Bestwood neighbourhood policing team have stepped up patrols to stop those responsible, with a small number of people behind most offences.
From Tuesday through to Sunday last week, officers went out on the streets in high-vis jackets and in plain clothes too, as part of an anti-shop theft operation.
This provided just a sample of the work carried out on a daily basis by neighbourhood officers in Bestwood to crackdown on shoplifters, however.
Sergeant Katie Taylor, who leads the team, said: “In our area, we have a high rate of shop thefts, with nearly one a day being reported to us in the last month or so.
“We know how much of a negative impact this type of crime can have on our communities, which is why we decided to run this targeted operation over several days last week.
“As part of this, we had officers out in uniform, both on foot and in the cars, to provide that visible presence on the streets and some reassurance to the public.
“We were also carrying out plain clothed patrols too, to catch anyone committing a crime, and make them think twice about who’s hanging around waiting for them – they won’t know we’re there.
“We’re out in the community a lot, and just because people can’t see the cars around, that doesn’t mean we’re not in plain clothes, or out on foot, on the buses, or on the bikes.”
This approach has led to some great results recently, with prolific shoplifter Ricky Tinsley, receiving a 34-week prison sentence, after being caught multiple times by the team in February.
The 40-year-old was walking out of a Bestwood shop with his arms full of stolen items when he was spotted and detained by an officer carrying out a patrol on a pushbike.
After receiving a suspended sentence for his actions, Tinsley, of Top Valley, was caught stealing again by neighbourhood officers on 20 February, and handed a custodial sentence as a result.
Another spot by the team took place three days later during another Bestwood patrol, and resulted in Patrick Butler, 43, being arrested and later charged with six shop thefts in the area.
Butler, of Heatherington Gardens, Top Valley, is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 12 March 2024, after being released on conditional bail.
Sergeant Taylor added: “Most of these types of offences are carried out by the same people and usually involve the same stores, so we usually head to these areas on our patrols.
“We have a good relationship with the shops in our communities and work closely with them to turn around CCTV and statements quickly, so that we can identify who the thieves are.
"Likewise, we also work with our local partners, like Nottingham City Homes, to try and stop these offenders, put them before the courts, and secure criminal behaviour orders.
“Cracking down on acquisitive crime – so offences based on acquiring property, like shoplifting – is a policing priority for the City North area, because we know how much of an impact this can have.
“These thefts affect everyone and can be one of the reasons why prices for items go up – so we’re all paying for it, it’s not just the shops which are impacted.
“That’s why we do all the work we do to target shoplifters and why I’ll continue running these types of operations with my team going forward.”