National crackdown on shoplifting introduces tagging for offenders

As part of a national crackdown on shoplifting announced today, prolific offenders - who commit the bulk of offences - could be subject to GPS tagging following release from prison.

Following months of extensive work with national and local retailers I launched Thames Valley’s Retail Crime Strategy back in January and have been working with Thames Valley Police to more than double the number of charges for shoplifting in recent months.

Today the Government have announced national action plan to help tackle shoplifting. This move has been welcomed by major retailers such as the Co-op, John Lewis Partnership and the British Retail Consortium. The national plan includes:

• A new offence of assaulting a retail worker;

• Expanding the use of electronic monitoring for prolific shoplifters;

• Maximising the use of new technologies for the prevention and detection of retail crime;

• Designing out crime, reducing the opportunities to steal and sell stolen goods; and

• Making it easier to report crime and share information between businesses and police.

These national changes provide important support for what is already going on locally in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. With the doubling of neighbourhood policing we are starting to see increased visibility, the police are focussing on prolific offenders and charges have more than doubled so far this year. GPS tagging will be an important boost to prevent reoffending and fits with the approach to push for tougher sentencing for these offenders and to use Criminal Behaviour Orders to tackle long term issues such as drug addiction.

Later this month Thames Valley Police will be launching the Disc app, making it free to businesses in Thames Valley to improve crime reporting and make it easier for retailers to share intelligence with each other and the police.

I am determined to support shop workers and tackle retail crime, today’s announcement can only help make that task easier.