Marlborough retailers are working closely together with each other and the Police with the aim of combating the problem of shoplifting. ‘Shopwatch’, a scheme where information about possible shoplifters is communicated between the shops and the Police is now in operation. But on 30 June this system worked to catch more than a shoplifter – it caught a flasher. As a result a 22 year old man was arrested following four reports of a man ‘indecently exposing himself’ whilst in shops on the High Street.
In this case ‘Shopwatch’ led to retailers telling each other about what was happening in their stores and resulted in the man being arrested on suspicion of four counts of indecent exposure and one count of being in possession of cannabis. He has since been released on police bail pending further enquiries.
PC Jason Steele said, “We have a very successful Shopwatch scheme in Marlborough which local officers are part of. The main aim of the scheme is to prevent retail crime by local retailers working closely with each other and us to share information and to encourage the reporting of shoplifting offences when they occur.
“We were pleased to see this scheme used during the period of indecent exposures which led to a suspect being quickly identified and arrested.
“We are seeing a decrease in the number of shoplifting offences in Marlborough. Since the start of this year, we have received 45 reports of theft from shops, compared with 56 reports during the same period in 2024. These had led to many good outcomes with some currently going through the judicial system, and others resulting in community resolutions. One of which will see a 16-year-old girl complete an intervention course which will hopefully prevent further offending.
“Our neighbourhood policing officers spend a significant proportion of time on patrol in the town centre, including time spent proactively working within shops to prevent offences but to also work with staff to collate evidence when offences do unfortunately take place.
“We also work closely with the town council to ensure the CCTV coverage of the town centre is as effective as possible to firstly act as a deterrent and to assist in the identification of suspects.
“We would urge anyone with concerns to contact us on 101 or through our website. If you do see our officers on patrol, please do come and speak to us.”
So a scheme created to combat shoplifting has other benefits as well, and what happened on June 30 is a clear example of how Police and retail can work together, effectively, with the ultimate goal of improving the experience, in every way, for Marlborough’s shoppers.
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