A Devon and Cornwall Police shoplifting initiative with the Barnstaple neighbourhood beat team, town centre management and local store detectives led to the capture of five people who had been shoplifting in the Devon town.
Overall, this joint action led to the detection of 10 offences and the recovery of in excess of £500 of property. Local officers, together with store detectives carried out plain-clothes patrols in the town centre.
PC James Rees who was responsible for this initiative said: "This is a great result for everyone. By working together with store detectives we were able to have a much greater co-ordinated presence on the ground during this busy time which gave us some terrific results. This sends out a clear message to those who think they can get away with shoplifting and it reassures local businesses."
