A SHOPLIFTING ring in Reading has been thwarted, leading to the recovery of over £20,000 of stolen goods and cash.
Officers at Thames Valley Police have worked with wardens Reading’s Business Improvement Districts (BID)
It comes after, on July 30, BID wardens responded to a report of a regular offender stealing meat from one of the supermarkets in town.
They followed him and saw him enter a shop in the town centrewhich has been thought to have been involved in handling stolen goods.
The BID wardens then updated the Reading Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, who had already been alerted to what was going on.
Officers entered the shop and located the stolen meat so then arrested the owner, a 40-year-old man from Reading, on suspicion of handling stolen goods.
The suspect gave various incorrect addresses, however force intelligence quickly found a potential address and a Section 18 warrant was authorised.
When officers arrived, it was confirmed to be the correct address as the suspect’s wife was there.
A search turned up £23,000 in cash, £10,000′ worth of sunglasses (thought to have been stolen from a store in the town centre), £5,000-worth of cosmetics, £3,250-worth of perfume, £2,000-worth of handbags, and £1,250-worth of clothing.
The cash was successfully secured for three months in a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing until the suspect can prove it was lawfully earned.
The discovery was part of our Safer Streets Summer commitment, working with our partners to support our town and city centres.
Inspector James Tribe, of the Reading Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This excellent piece of partnership working has resulted in a massive piece of our shoplifting jigsaw being completed.
“We have been working tirelessly to find out who is handling the goods that are being stolen within the town centre and I firmly believe this disruption will really hit our shoplifters hard.”
Reading’s BID Manager, Alexa Volker, said: “Our Wardens work tirelessly to support local retailers in dealing with shoplifting, including where possible returning stolen stock to retailers, reporting incidences, or supporting staff when dealing with shoplifters.
“Our BID Wardens are on patrol seven days a week acting as the eyes and ears of the town.
“Working closely with the Reading Neighbourhood Team, they are able to share intelligence, and help identify offenders, thereby expediting the actions of the Police as seen in this case.
“The BID and our Wardens will continue working to make our town centre more safe and attractive to all the businesses, visitors and residents, and look forward to supporting the police’s work in the future.”
He continued: “This result is just one example of how we’re taking back Reading town centre and the rest across the Thames Valley this summer with our partners, with increased police presence, quicker response times, and targeted action against retail crime and antisocial behaviour.
“The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee means you’ll see more officers on your streets, with dedicated teams focused solely on making your town centre safer.”
