HERTFORDSHIRE has seen a 17% drop in shoplifting over the past six months amid a crackdown by the county’s constabulary reports the Local Democracy Reporter.

Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Jonathan Ash-Edwards spoke with Chief Constable Andy Prophet for the force’s monthly accountability and performance meeting.

The PCC referred to retail crime as “a big topic nationally” and one that makes up a “significant proportion of all crime nationally and certainly in Hertfordshire”.

He asked the chief: “What’s your current assessment… on retail crime in Hertfordshire and the progress that’s been made in recent months?”

Mr Prophet responded: “We are making progress. There is too much retail crime. But if we look at the last six months, since October, we have really, really worked incredibly hard with retailers, with town partnerships and as a constabulary to be in high streets and around shops, nicking prolific offenders to crack down on this.

“I’m pleased to say, since October, we’ve seen a 17% reduction in the level of reported shop theft. Nevertheless, since October, there’s still been 2,621 recorded, but that is an appreciable reduction from the same six months the previous year.

“We’re solving a higher percentage of those reported thefts because of the focus on prolific offenders, capturing evidence and working incredibly closely – and this is key – with individual retailers to work with their store security, to work with them on how they capture their evidence, to crack down on the people who are committing this crime.”

The PCC described the 17% reduction as “considerable” and “welcome”, before adding: “Over that same time frame, [there is] a lot of collective work to encourage improved reporting as well. It’s reduction, while also making it easier for retailers to report.”

The PCC asked about work under way with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) bringing shoplifters to court once they are identified.

The chief constable responded that the force and CPS had agreed upon a streamlined approach to court summons for offenders from January 1, “effectively requiring a shoplifter to go straight to court without the need for an overly bureaucratic police investigation” in cases with “compelling” evidence.

He added this new approach does not apply to shoplifters with “aggravating” factors, such as habitual or violent offenders.

He said: “I think this will stand the test of time and it’s something I’m really positive about. We will continue to work with our partners in CPS and of course the retail community to maximise its use of convicting more shoplifters more quickly.”