“I studied Finance and Risk Management and worked in a marketing role for three years before deciding to make a change and become a neighbourhood officer through Police Now’s programme.

“Police Now’s training emphasised the importance of partnership working, long-term problem-solving, and evidence-based policing to drive positive change across communities. I focused on these principles in my role on the Slough Neighbourhood Policing Team, where I soon became the lead for tackling retail crime in the town centre.

“I worked with local retailers and community organisations to collect and analyse evidence, and I developed a ‘catch and convict’ strategy to identify, disrupt and prosecute the top 10 offenders of retail crime in the town centre. Their activities included shoplifting, robbery, anti-social behaviour, drug-related offences and assault, which was having a hugely negative impact on the local community.

“Hardworking retail employees and visitors to the high street deserve to feel safe and these crimes have a serious impact on the victims involved. Furthermore, retail crime poses a real risk of erosion to amenities and employment opportunities in Slough’s neighbourhoods, with fewer visitors to the high street and shops coming under increasing risk of closure when they lose stock.

“We worked hard to collate strong evidence, to ensure punitive measures were placed on the top 10 offenders we had identified. This led to an increase in criminal charges, custodial sentences and Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs – court orders which impose restrictions on offenders to prevent further anti-social behaviour).

“I also led two targeted operations with uniformed and undercover officers, apprehending and deterring criminals in the town centre. We raised awareness of the issues and shared our successes with the community, which led to more retail employees and members of the public coming forwards to work with the police. It was a clear example of how visible community policing and effective partnership working has a direct impact on public trust and confidence in the police service, which in turn helps us tackle crime more effectively.  

“Thanks to the success of this work, I was seconded to ‘Operation Purchase’ last year, to share my strategy and help reduce retail crime across the whole Thames Valley area. The Op Purchase team focuses on strong community partnership working and visible policing, engaging with retailers and identifying opportunities to reduce crime and protect retail staff from harm.

“During the early months of the team being established, Op Purchase saw significant increase in positive outcomes (court and out-of-court resolutions) in shoplifting cases. Across the force, our cases saw the highest rate of criminal charges increasing – when comparing cases where offenders were given sentences. We also pursued CBOs, including securing CBOs for two of the most harmful offenders we had identified.

“Thanks to the work of officers in Op Purchase and other teams across the force, there was a 98% increase in charges for shoplifting offences across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes last year (1 April 2024 – 13 October 2024, compared with the same period in 2023). We also increased positive outcomes between April 2024 to January 2025, from 2,097 to 3,568 cases.

“I am glad to have played a small part in this work and to have worked on such an impactful project so early in my career, but we know that tackling retail crime is always an ongoing piece of work. There is always more to be done to bring shoplifters to justice and make the community a safer place. I continue to focus on retail crime and work alongside Op Purchase in my neighbourhood role, I am passionate about this area of work and protecting the local community from harm.”