In a first for the Met, Luke suggested using synthetic DNA to mark over 5,000 items at retailers typically targeted by shoplifting – after months of analysing crime reports to identify offending patterns, alongside retail partners and his policing colleagues.

‘SelectaDNA’ leaves unique marks on each stolen item, allowing officers to trace stolen goods back to their original store and use CCTV and victim interviews to gather further evidence and make arrests. Officers conducted a series of raids across eight off-licences or newsagents, a barber shop, and one residential address – seizing stolen goods including alcohol, food and board games worth around £150,000.

Over 100 officers from across the Met were involved in delivering the operation and Luke was asked to share his learning with senior officers across the force and at one of Police Now’s national programme events. 

Police Constable Luke Taylor said: “I wouldn’t have been able to do this operation if it hadn’t been for Police Now’s programme, which is designed so that officers spend as much time embedded in communities as possible to focus on long-term problem-solving. That’s where I want to be and it’s why I joined through their neighbourhood programme.

“Shoplifting has a significant effect on the quality of life for our local communities and impacts the safety of those living and working in the area. It often results in further criminal activity including anti-social behaviour, assaults and violence, as well as fuelling drug-related crime. This organised criminal operation also took advantage of vulnerable people, paying them to shoplift goods on their behalf and encouraging individuals into crime.

“I knew we had to do something to tackle this problem and had the idea to use synthetic DNA, but we had never done a shoplifting operation like this before. I spoke to experienced officers across the force to learn from previous, similar operations for other crimes and worked closely with my sergeant and policing colleagues to form a plan. I also drew on my Police Now training, which encourages a mindset of determination and long-term thinking and emphasises the importance of strong partnership working. We worked with people across the council, fire brigade, Trading Standards and other public services to ensure our impact was as far-reaching as possible.

“It was an enormous team effort to launch and deliver this operation. I had a lot of support from my neighbourhood team and other experienced policing colleagues, and I recently shared the learning with my national Police Now cohort.”