Retail Crime Team

Retail crime is a serious issue that affects many people, from store staff and owners dealing with the direct impact of offences such as shop theft, to consumers who end up paying increased prices as a result.

Northamptonshire Police has a dedicated Retail Crime Team which focuses on bringing prolific offenders to justice.

The team began life in early 2023 as a pilot project between the Force, the Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership (NBCP) and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (OPFCC) in the north of the county.

Following the success of the pilot in improving detection rates for retail crimes, in March 2024 it was expanded county-wide with the official launch of the Retail Crime Team.

This is made up of two NBCP retail crime evidence gatherers, funded by the OPFCC, working alongside three police officers and a sergeant.

The role of the evidence gatherers is to liaise with stores to secure the best possible evidence of offences, including CCTV and statements.

This is then used by the Force to enable prompt charges when offenders are arrested, ensuring they are put before the courts as swiftly as possible.

As well as targeting prolific offenders, the team aims to support and engage with retail communities across the county, encouraging any business which is affected by crime to report it.

Thanks to the team, the Force is seeing significantly increased justice outcomes and continues to work with partners to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to tackling retail crime.

Read more about our innovative work in our Retail Crime Strategy 2024-2027. (A text-only version of this document is available here)

Court outcomes for retail offences are shared on our News pages.

The NBCP’s Retail Crime Initiative offers businesses a range of benefits, including updates on known offenders and direct reporting to the police via the DISC app. Find out more about membership at www.retailcrime.org or email [email protected].