Lincolnshire police have warned that more people will steal because of the economic downturn.
Lincolnshire police figures have revealed that there were 67 reported cases of shoplifting in St. Mark’s square. It is the worst affected area in Lincoln.
Last year a woman from a local village stole over £30,000 worth of designer handbags from Debenhams in St. Marks.
Measures have now been put in place to safeguard businesses and stores from further losses.
Lincolnshire Police Inspector, Mark Garthwaite, works with the Lincoln Business Improvement Group to help local stores improve their security and enhance their awareness of thieves.
“We have a fantastic working relationship with the security staff across Lincoln. Police Community Support Officers are in and out of shops all the time” He went on to warn, “You have to look at the climate we’re now in, people have less money, we are braced for the fact that people will start to steal more.”
Chris is the security supervisor at Sports Direct, one of the stores that have been heavily affected over the last few months.
“Within the last 4 months we’ve lost about 9 thousand pounds. It’s usually branded clothing such as Adidas, Nike, and Puma. Men and Women’s clothing is the place we mainly get hit on”
Stores are being urged to examine their store layout and displays to minimise the attraction to shoplifters.
By: Joe Coleman