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Police protect staff and shoppers in the run up to Christmas

Monday, 16 December 2024 09:39

Image from North Yorkshire Police

Undercover officers in Skipton have been carrying out deployments to protect the community during the festive season.

During an operation in the town centre last Thursday, a number of officers in plain clothes patrolled busy shopping areas and carried out targeted stop-and-searches of suspected criminals.

One man was arrested in suspicion of theft after leaving a shop and heading for the bus station.

The suspect, a local man in his 50s, was found with a number of items in his possession and taken into custody.

The deployments were led by Craven Neighbourhood Policing Team.

Craven Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant Mohammed Ikhlaq said:

“We proactively tackle shoplifting all year round and work closely with retailers in Craven to prevent crime.

“Plain clothes operations like these allow us to monitor suspects and use the element of surprise to target offenders before they even see us.

“It’s one of many ways we’re keeping shoppers, businesses and their staff safe as town centres get busier on the run-up to Christmas.”

The force made 819 arrests for retail theft in 2024 – an average of more than 15 a week.

North Yorkshire Police has also recently introduced NICE Investigate - a system that allows retailers to upload CCTV footage directly, which can help speed up investigations and prosecutions.

For more information visit the North Yorkshire Police-Craven Facebook page here.

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