The force is hoping to ensure it is a season of giving rather than taking
Police Patrol Hull City Centre
As the festive season approaches, Humberside Police are working alongside shop keepers and residents to ensure it is a season of giving rather than taking. The force’s Operation Yuletide sees Neighbourhood Policing Teams patrolling key shopping streets in efforts to prevent retail crime.
We joined PC Mohammed and PSCO Wallgate on their usual high-visibility patrol around Hull city centre to see first hand, how strong relationships between Police, retailers, and other partners can help to fight crime before it happens. We went into a number of shops around the city where PC Mohammed and PSCO Wallgate were familiar faces. They checked in with workers seeing if they’d had any issues to report.
The pair explained how often, small changes can reduce crime, with an example being the rearranging of a shop’s layout. PSCO Wallgate explained that after discussions with the Police some stores have moved some higher value items further into the shop and away from the front door, reducing the risk of someone quickly grabbing the items and leaving. The officers explained that shops and the authorities can communicate over a radio line funded by HullBID, through which stores can warn each other of any potential trouble.
The work also supports the Home Office’s Winter of Action, a continuation of the Safer Streets Summer initiative. The Summer project, which ran from June 30 to August 30, was part of the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which aims to improve the relationship between the police and the communities they operate in.
As well as being able to speak to shop owners to figure out ways to reduce crime, a key element of the patrols is to maintain a highly visible presence in the city centre. This seeks to deter crime as it engrains the notion that at any time, officers could be just around the corner.
Chief Inspector Alasdair Booth, force lead for retail crime, said: “Christmas is a time for giving, but unfortunately, it can also be a time when criminals take advantage. With homes filled with gifts and shopping areas busier than ever, the risk of theft and burglary increases.
“The impact of retail crime should not be underestimated, and this isn’t just financial. Unfortunately, those facing the perpetrators of retail crime are shop workers. This often comes with verbal abuse, intimidation, and in some cases physical threats, which is completely unacceptable.
“No one should feel unsafe or threatened at work, and we will not tolerate this behaviour. Business owners face financial losses, staff experience stress and fear, and customers ultimately pay the price when retailers are forced to increase costs to cover losses.
“We take all reports of shop theft seriously and assess cases individually. We do not work to a monetary value threshold for prosecuting offenders. Our focus is on identifying repeat offenders quickly and preventing further harm.
“According to the latest quarterly crime figures from the Office for National Statistics, Humberside Police has seen a 0.8% decrease in shoplifting, compared to an over 12% increase nationally. This shows that our partnership work and targeted policing are having an impact, but we’re not complacent.
“This Christmas, our Neighbourhood Policing Teams will be active in shopping areas, engaging with local retailers and communities to offer support and help deter crime. There will also be deterrent messaging placed on digital screens in high footfall locations aimed at potential perpetrators.
“We continue to work closely with Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, North Lincolnshire Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, and other partner agencies to ensure a joined-up approach to preventing retail crime. By sharing information, improving communication across retail premises, and providing crime prevention advice, we can support businesses and make shopping areas safer and more resilient during the festive season and beyond. Our collaboration also focuses on reducing repeat offending by targeting those responsible and seeking Criminal Behaviour Orders through the courts where appropriate.”
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