"There's big delays in our court system and I will share my frustration that sometimes I don't think these persistent offenders are getting the deterrent sentence they need. We do have a problem with repeat offenders coming back to stores time and time again and we do need some concerted effort to tackle them and stop their offending."
"We're catching them, we need the rest of the system to catch up,"
"When theft is accompanied by violence, threats or intimidation, we will come down hard. But we need the court system to move faster."
Shoplifting in Norfolk rose to 6,382 offences in the year to June 2025, up from 5,211 the previous year. The chief constable of Norfolk Police called for tougher, faster punishments for repeat shoplifters and said court delays undermine deterrence. The force reported prolific offenders, including individuals arrested dozens of times, and emphasized that theft accompanied by violence will be met with stronger action. Norfolk Police is using CCTV and facial recognition as primary evidence and applying for criminal behaviour orders to ban prolific offenders from retail areas. Resale of stolen goods and bulk supermarket thefts remain key drivers, and a sentencing review is described as critically important.
Read at Business Matters
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