A newly formed retail crime team in west Birmingham has hit the ground running, working with colleagues to arrest suspects and bring them before the courts, West Midlands Police stated on Tuesday (Aug 18).
The team, which was set up to directly tackle offences like shop theft and business burglary, and to target prolific offenders, works closely with neighbourhood officers, business owners, and staff. And, since it launched on 15 June, its officers have made 24 arrests – resulting in 76 charges for various offences.
Just last week, following intelligence about retail crime in the area, they were on patrol on Walsall Road in Perry Barr, when they spotted a shop theft in progress. Acting quickly, with assistance from local neighbourhood officers and store security, they detained two men.
West Midlands Police informed, "An officer from our Roads Policing Unit, who was in the area, also stepped in to help, and was racially abused as he did so.
"It turned out the two men detained were wanted on suspicion robbery here in the West Midlands, as well as a high-value shop theft in Staffordshire."
The pair were arrested and subsequently charged.
Other successes from last week alone include:
- A man arrested in Selly Oak, who was charged with 10 shop theft offences and common assault.
- A man arrested in West Bromwich who was charged with eight shop theft offences in Birmingham
- Another man arrested in Handsworth and charged with seven shop theft offences.
Then, on Saturday (15 August) officers worked with Operation Skybridge, the Birmingham proactive team, who stopped a vehicle in Kings Norton which had been linked to a series of shop thefts.
A woman arrested was subsequently charged by the Retail Crime Team with five Birmingham shop theft offences, five breaches a of a Criminal Behaviour Order, and common assault.
PC Taiyab Haroon, from the Birmingham West Retail Crime Team, said: “We’re focussed on protecting retail workers, supporting businesses, and bringing offenders before the courts.
“We want workers and customers to feel safe in our retail areas and we are working with business owners to identify those that cause the most harm in our communities.
“Retail crime impacts staff and customers, and no-one should feel unsafe while in a shop. We’re going to keep taking positive action, raise awareness, and support businesses
“Staff should feel safe when they are at work and customers should feel safe when they are shopping.
“Raising awareness and supporting businesses around the violence and abuse that is all too often directed towards those who work in retail is vital, which is why we are taking positive action to address this.”