Lancaster Police are running a new operation aimed at reducing the number of shoplifting offences in the city centre given the success of a similar operation in the run-up to Christmas last year.
Operation Novice will be robustly investigating all reports of shoplifting, with Lancaster Police hoping to increase the number of convictions they get to send the message this crime will not be tolerated in Lancaster.
Lancaster’s police officers have a number of tools to help in the detection and conviction of shoplifters. CCTV cameras around the city centre and in stores can help them to identify offenders and can also be used in court to convict them.
Many retail outlets in the city centre also use the Town Link radio system which connects stores directly to the police and means store staff can immediately contact the police to help speed up the process of catching offenders.
Inspector Nigel Parkinson of Lancaster Police said “Shoplifting offences have risen in the city centre recently, and it hurts both our retailers and consumers.
“Due to this, we’ve started Operation Novice to crack down on shoplifting before it becomes a real problem.”