'Prolific' offenders arrested in Plymouth as stolen items seized

Police have been out in the community working to safeguard local businesses in Plymouth this week. Officers say a number of 'prolific' offenders have been arrested, with stolen items recovered and crime prevention messages shared.

Led by Devon and Cornwall Police in Plymouth, the activity set out to tackle business crime in the community. Neighbourhood police officers carried out a warrant at a residential address which led to the seizure of stolen items including aftershaves, deodorant and razors.

Work is ongoing to return these items to the rightful premises. Three offenders who the police say are prolific were also located, arrested and charged with shoplifting offences.

High visibility patrols took place across the city centre and surrounding towns, along with the support of local police cadets. Officers called into shops to speak with employees, giving advice to help businesses take steps to protect businesses from being targeted by criminals.

Information was gathered about suspects. The CCTV van was also deployed across busy shopping areas in Plymouth, acting as a visible deterrent to opportunist shoplifters.

Acting Chief Inspector Dom Nicholls, who heads up neighbourhood police teams across Plymouth, said: “Our main goal is to really embed our officers within the business community. Every crime against a business affects its livelihood and the wellbeing of employees.

“Creating a safer business environment involves a collaborative approach. We want to show retailers that we’re here to work alongside them to keep their business and employees safe; our officers will take action against prolific offenders, we do take reports seriously and we will continue to work closely with them to gather information about crimes and suspects.

"And in turn, it’s important businesses continue to follow crime prevention advice and come forward to tell us what’s going on. By building this trust and working together, we can take a tough stand against business crime in our community. I hope this shows that police are committed to protecting local retailers to help create a thriving, safe community for everyone.”

For further help and advice on business safety visit business crime prevention. Practical help and support to victims of crime is available from the Devon and Cornwall Victim Care Unit and Victim Support. For more information visit https://victimcare-dc.org/

Police would also like to encourage businesses to complete the Virtual Environmental Visual Audit (VEVA) survey. It is designed to offer businesses an opportunity to identify antisocial behaviour concerns and report any physical environmental attributes which they believe may increase the fear of crime: VEVA Business survey.

Businesses can also sign up to Devon & Cornwall Alert two way messaging system to receive emails or text messages relevant to your local area by visiting Devon and Cornwall Alert.