Team work helps to tackle shoplifting across town centre

The work by the three teams from St Matthews Police in Walsall has seen 51 arrests made across the town since the start of the year.

This has included two people arrested at the Tesco on Wisemore, an arrest which came after partnership working between officers and security staff, with some of the security staff having previously worked as police officers.

The force said it was also working closely with British Transport Police and Staffordshire Police to target shoplifters using the rail network to travel across the region to commit offending and was also carrying out regular patrols in the town centre.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "Our officers have arrested more than 50 shoplifters in Walsall town centre this year as we continue to combat business crime.

"Our three St Matthews teams, which cover the town centre, have made 51 shoplifting arrests between 1 January up until 24 July.

"We work closely with shops and businesses in the town centre to combat shoplifting which can greatly impact businesses.

"One of the stores we work closely with is Tesco, on Wisemore, and in a recent operation we arrested and charged two people on suspicion of shoplifting after excellent partnership working between officers and security staff.

"The store had deployed extra security guards, some who were retired police officers, to take part in an operation and we will continue to support them during further operations in the future.

"We also work closely with Staffordshire Police and the British Transport Police targeting shoplifters who travel on the rail network from Walsall to commit offending in the Cannock, Rugeley and Stafford areas.

"Our teams carry out regular patrols in the town centre targeting anti-social behaviour and we work closely with Walsall Council to tackle street drinking, begging and drugs within the town centre.

"We also are take part in joint visits with housing and social services targeting people who act in an anti-social manner within the town centre and which causes a nuisance to members of the public and businesses."

Inspector Pete Poolton, neighbourhood policing manager at Walsall LPA, said: “We have had some excellent arrests as we target people who steal from shops and market stalls.

"Shoplifting has a great impact on local businesses and we are working hard together to combat this problem.

"Our town centre teams work extremely hard to combat shoplifting and anti-social behaviour including drug and alcohol misuse which goes hand in hand.

“We continue to build relationships with town centre shops and market stalls. We realise we need to do even more and continue to build relationships with the business community.

"We will continue our work hard to do this as we need to work together on this issue.”