Town centre crackdown leads to 100 charges - police

Officers in Stockport say they have produced a range of positive results over the last year

A crackdown on town centre crime has led to the arrest of 49 people and more than 100 charges, a police force has said.

Greater Manchester Police officers in Stockport set up Operation Rimini to tackle retail crime, anti-social behaviour, and burglaries and violent offences.

Stop-searches on one day last month also resulted in the discovery of a knife and stolen property, the force said.

Ch Insp John Picton said anti-social behaviour was a "blight on people’s lives" which could cause issues "anywhere, from town centres to rural beauty spots".

'Unwavering commitment'

He said: "Once we identified issues in Stockport, we set up this operation to provide a regular policing presence across multiple days of the year – reminding criminals that we are here and they will never be tolerated."

Over the past 12 months, officers have secured charges for 124 crimes with a further 37 retail banning orders and three criminal behaviour orders, he said.

Officers worked with stores and shopping centres to share best practices and identify known offenders.

The most recent day of action in June saw three people arrested by the end of the day, on suspicion of offences including being wanted on recall to prison, shoplifting and possession of a bladed article.

“These operations will continue as we seek to tackle crime across Stockport town centre and the wider area," Ch Insp Picton added.

"The hundred plus charges and dozens of arrests has meant we have been able to show criminals our unwavering commitment to protecting stores, workers, and visitors alike".