Around 1,200 illegal vapes were seized from a store in Kendal during a week of action by police.
Cumbria Constabulary’s neighbourhood policing teams across the county took part in Safer Business Action Week from October 14 to October 19, which saw officers and PCSOs working with local retailers to promote crime prevention initiatives, conduct high-visibility patrols and target known offenders.
On October 17, officers carried out visits to shops with Trading Standards in Kendal and Bowness.
They discovered the vapes at the Kendal store. Cumbria police said: “This matter is subject to further investigation. Illegal vapes do not abide by the legal nicotine limit of 20mg per ml and can contain chemicals such as tin, nickel, lead or THC, the active compound in cannabis.”
While in Kendal, officers arrested a person on suspicion of theft, with officers attending the scene while the 999 call was still in progress.
Due to first time offending, itwas dealt with via an out of court disposal.
In Carlisle, a man was arrested who was on a warrant for failing to appear at court charged with a shoplifting offence and breach of a community behaviour order.
Officers visited a number of retail parks and businesses across the city over the course of the week to provide support and guidance around retail crime.
In Penrith, high visibility patrols were conducted in hotspot areas throughout the week and local businesses were visited and given crime prevention advice as well as a ‘safer business’ questionnaire. The data from this will be collated and acted upon where appropriate, police said.
The Shopwatch Scheme across Eden was relaunched with some local businesses signing up to the scheme, and one person was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting.
Yesterday, Sunday October 20, a man in his 40s was arrested following an incident at one of our town centre businesses.
He was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence, common assault and possession of an offensive weapon. He has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
In Workington, an engagement event was held in the town centre on October 16. Neighbourhood officers engaged with lots of local businesses and gave out some crime prevention advice.
One man was also arrested for breach of criminal behaviour order. He was charged and remanded to court. He received a community order at court plus an electronic tag.
On Thursday, another engagement event was held in Keswick. Multiple shops were visited, and staff engaged with officers with two stores signing up to the Schemelink initiative.
High visibility patrols in Whitehaven, Egremont and Millom town centres during the week, focusing on engagement with shop workers, promoting the Shop Watch scheme.
A man in his 40s was also arrested on suspicion of two commercial burglaries and two shoplifting offences. He was released on bail pending further enquiries.
Barrow Neighbourhood Policing Team continue to target and proactively identify those persistently committing retail offences. The team are working hard to secure criminal behaviour orders to prevent further criminality and help protect business owners and local residents, police said.
T/Superintendent Lee Skelton, who led the week of action, said: “Over the past week our local neighbourhood policing teams have been visiting local retailers to better understand the issues they are facing on a daily basis.
“This partnership between police, partners and local businesses is crucial to implement crime prevention initiatives and help target offenders.
“Although we have highlighted this work as part of the week of action, our officers work hard all year round to improve the support we give our local businesses and work with them to tackle crimes like shoplifting and abuse directed towards staff.
“So far, in October we have a positive outcome rate of 68.8% for shoplifting offences across the county, but we are not complacent.
“Retail crime is far from being a victimless crime and there is often a misconception that these lower-level offences are less important than other crimes. However, we know the profound impact these crimes can have on our highstreets, as well as the victims involved, and Cumbria Police take these crimes extremely seriously.
“We will continue to take an active approach to pursuing offenders who profit from causing misery to our local communities and retailers and put them before the courts to face justice.”
