HIGH above the Brunel Centre CCTV operators sit in front of a wall of computer screens.

Each of the 21 screens shows a different view of the Swindon shopping centre, beamed from one of the 70 odd cameras installed in and around the Brunel. The camera feeds are shared to Swindon Borough Councils own CCTV hub at Waterside, Cheney Manor.

CCTV operator Yvonne Booth has been doing the job for 11 years.

I love my job, she beams. When I first went in there they said I was going to be pretty rubbish. The opposite was true and over the years she has caught hundreds of shop thieves.

Shes part of the town centres effort to counter the shoplifters.

Those on the front line meet regularly at inSwindons Fleming Way offices. The 14 people at the briefing include police officers, inSwindons street team and representatives from the towns bigger shops.

For PC Paul Bezzant, beat manager for the town centre, and street team manager Kev Saunders its a chance to brief stores on the latest prolific offenders, court results and anti-social behaviour.

When the Adver joined the Tuesday meeting the hot topics included wheelie-pulling youngsters and a prolific shoplifter due before the magistrates that morning.

One security guard told the Adver: Were more aware of the problems now. Another added: It doesnt go away, but we seem to be keeping on top of it.

Meeting over, Kev Saunders and PC Bezzant head over to the state-of-the-art CCTV room at the top of the Brunel Centre.

The pair have known each other for years. Kev said: Ive worked in the town centre for 17 and a half years. I started at Millets, the camping shop.

They used to give me a radio to stand at the front and meet-and-greet. I sort of fell in love with security there.

I did security for 15 years before I came over to this job.

PC Paul Bezzant and Kev Saunders in The Brunel

Shops were changing their ways. For me, my passion was detaining shoplifters, getting them arrested and dealt with. Policies with shops changed and it was all about deterring. It killed the joy out of my job a bit.

When this role came up with inSwindon it was a chance to support the town with my wealth of knowledge of all the shoplifters I know.

All the shops in the town centre as well as outlets like the Orbital and Greenbridge are covered by the business improvement districts DaySafe system a radio network that connects shops, council CCTV operators and the police.

There is also an app, with police uploading images of prolific shoplifters and Swindons most wanted criminals.

At the last count there were around 300 faces on the app.

Its the knowledge, Kev said of the benefits of DaySafe.

Its the collaborative work with everybody. If you all join together youre a bigger force to fight crime as opposed to a single person on your own.

As times change different stores get targeted for different goods.

But a cursory glace at the magistrates court lists or a shoplifters shopping list found in a Swindon pub in December 2018 show that the basics remain the same: food, make-up, clothes and toys.

PC Bezzant said: People steal things they think people want, such as cheese, coffee, joints of meat.

He said the strangest shoplifted item hes come across was a sex toy from Regent Street Anne Summers.

Both the constable and the street team manager stressed that thefts from shops were far from victimless crimes, as thought by some.

Kev said: Its not a victimless crime. To recoup that money the shops put the prices up. At the end of the day it affects all of us.

For the independents it has a massive affect. You can tell it really hits home for them. Its personal for them because its their business, he explained.

Training for stores was last year said to have saved businesses 100,000 - up from 72,000 the year before.

The cash was saved thanks to a combination of better training in stopping shoplifters and better information sharing between businesses.

Some of the town's recent prolific shoplifters

Martin Morgan

Martin Morgan, 34, was spared prison last month despite having around 150 theft offences to his name.

Swindon magistrates heard Morgan took alcohol and meat worth 109 from Marks and Spencer on January 25, returning 16 days later to take an unknown number of steaks.

On February 13 he was spotted by staff at the Waitrose store in Wichelstowe taking Jack Daniels and Bells whiskey.

Prosecutor Kate Prince said: He was asked by a member of staff to put them back, to which he said no. He then left the store with his coat pockets bulging.

Anna Burns

Anna Burns, 34, was described as a persistent thorn in the side of Swindon shopkeepers by a crown court judge.

She was jailed for another 10 weeks earlier this month after stealing from a Bristol shopping centre shortly after being released from womens prison Eastwood Park on licence.

The Swindon woman had been given a five month stretch at the crown court in early February for a spree that saw her steal from Greggs, Lush, a Polish deli, Sainsburys and Mothercare.

On one occasion she stole make up from Boots just hours after she was released on bail.

Christopher Simpkins

Christopher Simpkins, 41, vowed to go clean last month.

Its not before time for the veteran shoplifter with more than 100 theft offences on his record.

The Pinehurst man admitted five shoplifting charges, stealing almost 550-worth of meat from the Co-op in October, November and December.

He had stashed steaks in his pockets, but was identified from CCTV.

Emma Hillier, defending, told the justices her client was keen to make a change having spent recent years in-and-out of jail.

He feels he is wasting his time in prison, she said.

Link:

On the front line in the battle against Swindon's shoplifters - Swindon Advertiser