Sandwell strives to tackle retail crime

A new team has been launched in Sandwell, Birmingham which aims to decrease the numbers of retail theft. The south sandwell retail crime team have made multiltiple arrests including four reoccuring offenders, one of them being a fourty eight year old man who has been charged for five counts of theft.

Police and workers

Image from West Midlands Police

The team have handed out more than one hundred and fifty weeks of prison time and six thousand pounds worth of items have been stolen, many targetting supermarkets and shops causing a huge financial loss to buisnesses and affecting local proprietors welfare.

Sandwell South Retail Crime officer, Sergeant Jason Walters said: “We work closely with store security to arrest offenders and last month, a thirty three year-old man was stopped in Tesco Supermarket in Cradley Heath by security after stealing various items. Officers responded and he was arrested and subsequently charged with 11 counts of shop theft. When appearing at court the man was sentenced to 33 weeks in prison.” Showing how successful the initive has been in reducing and deterring retil theft.

Mr Singh, a security officer, at Sainsbury’s said: "I have been a guard for 17 years at the location and I finally feel supported by the police.