🔵 Tackling Theft & Shoplifting Together

Hello everyone,

Shoplifting might seem like a low‑level crime, but its impact is far from small. It affects local businesses, staff safety, community confidence, and the cost of living for all of us. The good news is that Whitewebbs retailers and police are working together to prevent theft and make our town centres safer for everyone.

✅ What We’re Seeing

Across London and nationally, retailers report increases in:

Our teams know how stressful this is for staff and customers. No one should feel unsafe while working or shopping in our borough.

✅ What Police Have Already Asked Retailers To Do

To help prevent shoplifting and protect staff, officers have been visiting local shops and advising them to:

🔒 Improve store layouts

📸 Strengthen CCTV and security measures

👕 Use staff visibility and engagement

🔁 Keep strong incident reporting systems

🔐 Review security hardware

These simple steps can make shops far less attractive to offenders.

✅ What Your Local Police Are Doing

Your Safer Neighbourhood Teams and town centre officers are:

We’re focusing on the offenders causing the most harm — and working to disrupt them long‑term.

✅ How You Can Help

Everyone has a part to play in reducing theft and keeping town centres safe.

👀 Be aware of your surroundings

If you see suspicious behaviour, tell staff or contact us.

📲 Report incidents and intelligence

💬 Support your local shops

They’re vital to our community and are working hard to stay safe.