Thirteen-year-old girl arrested in Mearns shoplifting clampdown – The Courier

A 13-year-old girl was among those arrested in a shoplifting blitz in the Mearns.

The teenager, and a 16-year-old boy, were caught by police in Stonehaven during a four-day operation which also led to arrests in Laurencekirk.

In total, six people have been charged in the area following the latest phase of an initiative to tackle acquisitive crime.

High-profile patrols were carried out in Stonehaven and Laurencekirk focused on targeting people wanted on warrant for acquisitive crime offences, intelligence gathering, and working alongside local businesses with crime prevention advice.

Police Scotland said a 58-year-old man was charged in relation to seven shopliftings, six in Stonehaven.

A 16-year-old boy and 19-year-old youth were charged in relation to shoplifting in Laurencekirk.

A 16-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl were charged in relation to shoplifting in Stonehaven and a 27-year-old man over an alleged theft in Laurencekirk.

The operation was carried out in support of the recently developed Aberdeenshire Retail Crime initiative in Stonehaven in which officers work with retailers such as the Co-Op and Charles Michies Chemist, as well as with new local businesses to promote crime reduction opportunities.

PC Ashleigh Connon, from the Kincardine and Mearns Community Policing Team and who organised the operation said: This initiative allowed us to build upon preventative measures already in place by working alongside local businesses to help them reduce the risk of being targeted by opportunistic thieves, train staff in preventative measures, and evaluate current procedures and protocols.

This operation sent out a clear message that we will actively pursue those responsible for the commission of retail crime in this area.

Such crimes are not victimless crimes. They impact on the local community and local businesses, and we will do everything we can to identify and report offenders, added PC Connon.

We would ask for the help of the local community in providing information about people they know who are committing crimes in our area. Anyone with information can contact local Officers via 101 or report anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Local area commander, Chief Inspector Murray Main said: This latest phase of our successful retail crime operation has involved local officers in Kincardine and Mearns working closely with retailers in the area to identify those responsible for crimes of shoplifting, particularly those persistent criminals, and ensure they are held accountable for their actions.

He added: Every time something is stolen the retailer loses money and as a result, this can mean prices go up or worse, small businesses fail and people lose their jobs.

Id like to reassure people that operations such as this will continue across the south of Aberdeenshire to ensure our towns and villages remain safe places for people to live, work, visit and enjoy.

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Thirteen-year-old girl arrested in Mearns shoplifting clampdown - The Courier