Dear resident, 

This week is all about retail crime where we focus on why it happens, how it happens, and ways we can work collaboratively to put measures in place to help prevent it. 

We are committed to ensuring the safety of our community, and retail crime, encompassing theft, criminal damage, and anti-social behaviour not only harms businesses but also undermines the sense of safety and trust within the borough. 

To address this challenge effectively, we are implementing several proactive measures:

1.           Enhanced Patrols: We are conducting increased patrols in retail areas to deter criminal activity and provide a visible presence to reassure both businesses and shoppers. We will look to have further patrols both in and around stores this week. 

2.           Community Engagement: We encourage residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour they witness. Your cooperation and awareness are invaluable in helping us prevent and solve crimes.

3.          Collaborative Partnerships: We are working closely with local businesses, offering crime prevention advice, and establishing partnerships to share information and resources effectively. Attached to this e-mail is a retail crime information pack. If you get a chance, it is worth a read. Remember - always feel free to reply to us directly on neighbourhood link to share your concerns.

4.           Education and Awareness: This week we are trying to raise public awareness; we aim to educate both retailers and consumers about the importance of security measures and vigilance in preventing retail crime. In our upcoming beat surgeries, we will discuss suspicious shoplifter signs so people know when to alert retail staff or the police. 

We understand the impact that retail crime can have on the livelihoods of businesses and the overall quality of life in our community. By working together, we can support retailers in Oadby, Wigston and South Wigston. We have a briefing of individuals who are well known to us and indeed yourselves for committing these offences, and proactive work is being carried out to target them directly. 

We hope that we are able to share some positive results with you by the end of the week. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to message us and we will get back to you. Or even if you would like a visit, let us know and we will come and have a chat. I will be visiting some local shops which I know experience retail crime to have a catch up. Also, we encourage you to take a look at the PDF document attached to this message. It contains lots of useful information.

Thank you,

Sergeant 3029 Will Leggate

Beat Team