Police target shoplifters

By Mitch Gaynor

BEERWAH police have begun covert operations at major retailers to curb a spike in shoplifting offences.

Senior Constable Michael Collins told GC&M News that plainclothes police were deployed to Woolworths and Fresh & Save at the Village Marketplace on Wednesday, May 31.

Offenders with a range of stolen goods, including expensive meat products, were taken into custody and charged.

“There had been an increase in local thefts particularly Woolworths and Fresh and Save,” Snr Const Collins said.

“So we planned an organised operation with four plainclothes officers attached to each supermarket as well as working with their loss prevention offices.”

The officers ran surveillance throughout the centre based on the most likely day to target offenders.

“We ended up getting three offenders with further follow-ups on eight charges,” he said.

“Some were reoccurring offenders wanted previously and one wanted in connection to multiple previous offences.”

Snr Const Collins said the aim was to make the initiative part of an ongoing operation aimed at curbing an increase in shoplifting

“There will be more of these operations in the future,” he said.

He said while some were habitual offenders others addressed cost of living issues and the price of groceries behind the motivation to steal.