A TARGETED operation in Reading town centre has won the Thames Valley Police 2026 Laycock Award after delivering “significant reductions in crime” in the retail sector.
A team of Thames Valley Police problem‑solving analysts worked with the Reading Business Improvement District (BID), part of Reading Economic and Destination Agency to survey businesses in the town centre.
The data was used to draw up accurate pictures of crime levels and patterns, as well as their impact, in better detail than police data alone could provide.
Estimates suggested more than 55,000 shoplifting incidents in the past year had caused losses of around £3.2 million.
Despite the scale of the issue, only a small number of incidents were being reported to police, masking the true level of harm and frustration felt by retailers.
Meanwhile national and local research suggested that over half of shoplifting offences were linked to individuals stealing to fund a drug dependency.
Research also suggests that these offenders were the most likely to be involved in assaults on shop staff when challenged.
Hotspot locations were identified with Reading town centre, along with patterns showing higher levels of offending earlier in the week and later in the day.
Alongside prolific offenders, the team also identified opportunistic shoplifters, criminal entrepreneurs and organised crime groups targeting high‑value goods.
Rather than relying on enforcement alone, the NHPT coordinated a four‑strand response, divert, pursue, prevent and protect, alongside partners including Reading Borough Council, Change Grow Live, Oracle and Broad Street Mall security teams, and local retailers.
The most innovative element is the creation of a Business Crime Navigator, funded through the Home Office and embedded within Change Grow Live’s outreach service.
This role acts as a bridge between police, businesses and support agencies, directing prolific offenders into rapid access drug and alcohol treatment at the point of arrest or police contact.
Thames Valley Police says that early results from the programme are ”promising”; Overall reports of shoplifting have risen, suggesting an improved confidence in reporting.
Shoplifting offences occurring within the retail focus area were also recorded to be 12.5% lower than the wider Reading town centre area.
Alongside diversion, officers ran plain‑clothes operations securing arrests, charges and prison sentences.
In addition, high‑visibility patrols and “Have Your Say” events at retail hotspots have increased reassurance for staff and the public.
