Shoplifters jailed after police boost patrols in Powys towns

Three prolific shoplifters have been jailed for a combined 37 weeks after police stepped up patrols in north Powys shopping areas.

Neighbourhood guarantee officers in Powys have made a positive impact in their first month, with investigations resulting in prolific shoplifters being jailed.

The team identified shoplifting as a primary concern and have already resolved 22 offences. 15 of those were committed by three prolific offenders. They were charged and remanded in custody, before receiving a combined 37-weeks in prison.

Their proactive approach led to the remaining seven shoplifting offences being resolved with community resolution orders or education. This victim-focused approach aims to repair harm caused by crime.

These officers were made available through the Neighbourhood Guarantee, an initiative that uses Home Office funding to increase resourcing in neighbourhood policing.

The aim is to help strengthen crime prevention and community safety.

A police spokesperson said: “This guarantee brought five additional Neighbour Policing officers to the Montgomeryshire area. They became operational in early March and have focused on community issues in their first month.

“They’ve been patrolling in Newtown and Welshpool’s shopping areas. These have been a mix of high-visibility and plain clothes patrols to disrupt criminals. The officers have also supported other teams with finding high-risk offenders in the community, welfare concern calls, and road traffic collisions.”

Chief Inspector Matthew Price, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “This has been a very positive start, and the benefits are already starting to show. I’m confident that the officers will carry this momentum forward and keep building connections with local people.

“This has given them a good platform to continue tackling community issues and preventing criminal activity with intelligence-led policing. Community engagement will be key to gathering this information and I’m encouraged to see this already being done.”

In addition to their investigations and prevention work, the team visited Newtown College to speak to future potential officers and promote the Special Constable programme.

Special Constables are volunteer Police Officers that have full police powers, uniform and equipment. They work alongside full-time Police Officers and PCSOs.

The force is currently accepting applications for Special Constables, and any successful applicants in the Montgomery area would be working with the new neighbourhood policing team following training.

More information on Special Constables and the application process is available at Special constable role | Dyfed-Powys Police