Almost 40 alleged retail thieves were arrested in Shepparton across two days last week, as part of Operation Securus which has reached the one-month mark.
As part of Operation Securus, officers saturated Shepparton's CBD and retail precincts last week, arresting 39 alleged thieves and laying more than 80 charges relating to retail theft, drugs, weapons and bail.
The first day of action on Wednesday 10 June saw 17 arrests, with 22 made the following day.
Of note:
- Loss prevention officers saw two men in tradesman clothing loading property into a van at a hardware store on Benalla Road. A search of their van uncovered more than $600 worth of building supplies believed to have been stolen. The 28-year-old Wallan man and 31-year-old South Morang man were arrested and charged with theft and possessing cannabis.
- A woman was allegedly spotted placing several groceries into a bag at a self-serve checkout at a supermarket on Vaughan Street, but only scanning a small number of items. When stopped by officers, she allegedly became physically aggressive. The 19-year-old from Shepparton was charged with theft and assault police.
- Loss prevention officers observed a man and a woman allegedly placing groceries into bags at a supermarket on the Goulburn Valley Highway in Kialla without making any attempt to pay. The pair tried to flee but failed and were arrested. A search of their vehicle revealed a duffle bag containing hundreds of dollars' worth of items, including groceries, alleged to have been stolen. The 30-year-old Shepparton man was charged with theft, and breach prescribed condition of parole, while the 34-year-old Shepparton woman was released pending summons.
All have been bailed to appear in Shepparton Magistrates' Court on 4 September.
Operation Securus was established to not only prevent shoplifting offences across Greater Shepparton, but to target prolific thieves who use aggression and intimidation tactics in an attempt to get away with their crimes.
Since Operation Securus' inception exactly a month ago, 64 people have been charged with more than 230 offences.
It will be alleged the cohort has stolen almost $30,000 in items from local stores.
Operation Securus will continue, with uniform members having a highly visible presence in the CBD and retail precincts.
Quotes attributable to Goulburn Valley Tasking and Coordination Inspector Anna Parkinson:
"In the first month alone, local officers have arrested 64 people - that's an average of almost two alleged thieves every day.
"Not only are our officers looking to reduce this type of offending in local stores, they're also targeting thieves who are aggressive and threaten staff.
"Employees should be able to go to work each day and not be threatened or made to feel scared.
"Operation Securus will continue to drive down shoplifting across Shepparton, with more days of action planned over the coming weeks."
