Essex Police has launched two new schemes to speed up the process of putting shop theft suspects before a court.
The force aims to improve conviction rates while freeing up officers’ time and allowing them to get back out on the streets of its neighbourhoods “where they belong”, it said.
Victims or witnesses of shop theft can now provide the force’s Rapid Video Response (RVR) team with an immediate account of what happened via a video call.
This process means there is an officer in contact with a caller “from start to finish” and vital evidence can be collected quickly after an incident has happened before it is forgotten, lost or recorded over.
It will also free up the arresting officers’ time to escort the suspect to custody while evidence is being gathered by the RVR team.
Essex Police has also made it so named shop theft suspects can now be summonsed directly to magistrates’ court in certain circumstances, without the need for arrest or interview.
In order to do this, officers need good-quality CCTV footage of the offence taking place, with a clear image of the offender or a suitable witness statement.
But if it is likely the suspect will contest their case, has no home address, is a persistent offender, or there are aggravating factors, such as an assault, then this process would not be suitable for them, the force explained.
“Shop theft is not a victimless crime. It affects a store’s bottom line and may cause them to increase prices for customers, while offenders can also be violent and abusive to staff and customers,” said Sergeant Christian Denning of the force’s Business Crime Team.
“We understand this, which is why we urge retailers to report crimes to us, and to ring 999 if it’s a crime in progress.
“Through these two schemes, we aim to get suspects for shop theft before the courts more quickly, in some cases removing the need for them to be arrested before they are charged.
“No one should be afraid to go to work. We want to make our high streets, corner shops and retail parks safer places for everyone to work in and visit.”
In the year to 31 March, Essex Police officers made 1,374 arrests for shop theft and assaults on retail staff in Essex – securing 2,442 charges – and solved 530 more offences than in the previous 12 months.
“If we are provided with good-quality CCTV and witness statements, plus information about the items stolen and their value, then offenders are often left with no option other than to plead guilty at the first opportunity,” added Denning.
“The fact that we’ve solved 530 more shop theft offences in the past 12 months than we did in the previous year is testament to this.”
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