Policing in the heart of your neighbourhood - focus on retail theft and ASB in town centres

Image: Neighbourhood Policing officer, PC Chris Swales patrolling Middlesbrough town centre.

We are policing in the heart of your neighbourhood this winter and officers will be focusing on retail crime and antisocial behaviour in our town centres in the run up to Christmas.

As officers provide a visible presence in shopping centres, retail parks and high streets, they will be liaising with businesses, shop staff and shoppers to continue with our existing work with retailers and town centre managers to reduce thefts, drive down street crime and tackle antisocial behaviour.

Officers covering Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Stockton and Redcar deal with a large number of retail thefts, with 8,450 recorded as crimes in the 12 months from December 2024 to the end of November 2025.

Image: Officers patrolling in Middleton Grange Shopping Centre in Hartlepool.

Most thefts include items that are easy to sell on such as alcohol, meat, cheese and clothes washing pods.

PC Chris Swales, a Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Officer dedicated to the town centre, said: "Our relationship with partners is extremely important in the fight against retail crime. We communicate regularly throughout the day, sharing information on anyone who has committed a theft in a shop. Town centre Neighbourhood Policing officers work closely as a team with security guards, retail staff and CCTV operators to ensure that we can identify, locate and arrest thieves as quickly as possible, and deal with any antisocial behaviour in the town centre." 

Image: PC Chris Swales with town centre security guards.

One brazen shoplifter was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, after trying to fill his jacket with fresh meat from a chiller cabinet in a store on Eston High Street in front of three police officers.

Two off-duty police officers were standing right in front of Jason Galloway as he grabbed handfuls of meat and stuffed it into his jacket. They grabbed him immediately before another highly visible uniformed officer ran over to arrest him.

The 22-year-old, from Eston, was charged with theft, along with three other shoplifting offences in the same area where he had stolen clothes washing pods and steaks.

He was sentenced to a 16-week custodial sentence when he appeared in court on Monday 8th December and was described as having a “flagrant disregard for people and their property”.

Despite dealing with a huge volume of shoplifting offences across Teesside, Cleveland Police officers manage to achieve some great results. The force is charging more shoplifters than the national average, with 29.7% of all reports ending with an offender being sanctioned.

Chief Inspector Jamie Bell, Cleveland Police’s operational lead on retail crime, said:

“Cleveland Police takes a proactive approach to preventing, reducing, and apprehending those who repeatedly steal from shops.

“As part of our Policing in the Heart of Your Neighbourhood initiative, officers carry out high-visibility patrols in town centres every day to tackle theft and antisocial behaviour. We work closely with retailers and security staff, encouraging them to report incidents promptly. This helps us build a clear picture of what is happening and provide advice on crime prevention, including shop design and the use of technology.

“When evidence such as witness statements, CCTV footage, or named suspects is provided, reports are fully investigated.

“In addition, our Neighbourhood Teams regularly engage with retailers and shoppers through pop-up stalls in stores, offering crime prevention advice and listening to concerns. We also use the full extent of our powers, including Criminal Behaviour Orders, which can prohibit offenders from entering certain retail premises or entire shopping areas.

“Retail crime doesn’t just affect businesses financially—it impacts staff who may face verbal abuse or even physical assault while simply doing their job. Nobody should fear violence or abuse in the workplace.

“While there is still work to do in tackling retail crime, our officers work tirelessly to address the issue and, despite the high volume of offences, continue to deliver strong results.”