Dorset Police news site

Local officers across Dorset and the Force’s dedicated Retail Crime Team are working together to support businesses and tackle retail crime.

Positive results have been achieved to protect retailers from prolific offenders, with officers compiling evidence to secure court orders and taking prompt action when restrictions have been breached. 

This work comes on the back of a new NiCE digital evidence platform being introduced, to make it easier for retailers to report offences and submit evidence directly to police. 

The Retail Crime Team’s current positive outcome rate for cases where stores support police action is more than 65 per cent, more than double the positive outcome rate nationally for all shoplifting offences.

Across the entire force the positive outcome rate is 38 per cent, again well above the national rate of 28 per cent.

With the introduction of the Sentencing Act in March 2026 and a shift towards a reduced use of short custodial sentences, it has placed a greater emphasis on police and partners managing repeat offenders in the community and looking at all tools available to prevent future criminality.

This has led to the Force building on the work of Operation Shopkeeper, which was already well established with a focus on identifying prolific offenders and working with the business community to take positive action.

In Weymouth the local neighbourhood policing team secured a criminal behaviour order (CBO) against Nicholas Gardner, aged 44 and of no fixed abode, who was appearing in court after being involved in more than 60 theft offences, with offences committed principally in Weymouth but also in Wareham and Dorchester.

The order prevented him from entering Weymouth town centre as well as any premises from which he had been banned.

When he continued to offend outside of the town centre, officers took action to ensure he was brought back before the courts with his order subsequently enhanced to widen the area from which he was banned. Gardner was also jailed for 29 weeks.

In Poole evidence compiled by NPT officers secured a CBO against repeat shoplifter Charlie Dean Kenneth Carr, aged 27 and of no fixed abode, when he appeared in court in connection with shoplifting matters. They were able to present details of around 50 theft and related matters Carr had been linked to over a four-year period.

Under the terms of the order, Carr is not allowed to enter any Co-op, Iceland or Food Warehouse store in the BCP area and is also prohibited from entering any retail premises from which he has been banned, as well as stating he must leave any store when asked by members of staff, security staff, council officers or police.

Officers will continue to work with the business community in Poole and across BCP to ensure action is taken should the order be breached.

Chief Inspector Alyssa Forrest, Dorset Police’s retail crime lead, said: “We want to support our local business communities, and we fully understand the impact retail crime has on their trade.

“Our positive outcome rates show that the work of the Retail Crime Team and local neighbourhood policing team is making a real difference and leading to positive outcomes for businesses.

“We know that many offences are linked to repeat offenders, who we see are increasingly committing crimes in multiple locations rather than just one single area.

“Through the continued efforts of our Retail Crime Team and Op Shopkeeper, we are working with local neighbourhood teams across Dorset – which have been strengthened with additional officers supported by the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee – to ensure we identify these prolific offenders and take positive action to tackle their criminality and protect businesses.

“As these cases show, we will work hard to compile evidence and secure court orders but once these have been secured the work does not stop there, we will continue to work with retailers to ensure the terms are being complied with. Where we identify any breaches we will ensure swift action is taken to bring offenders back before the courts and, if necessary, ensure additional restrictions are imposed.

“A crucial element in building evidence to secure court orders or prosecute breaches is for businesses to come forward and report offences so we can demonstrate the full scale of an individual’s offending behaviour.”

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick said "I am pleased to see Dorset Police achieving increasing success in tackling prolific shoplifters, with positive outcomes now exceeding the national average. This progress reflects the hard work of the force, my office and our partners in the Dorset Safer Business Partnership to improve both the reporting of shoplifting through the NICE platform and the investigation of these offences through Operation Shopkeeper and the new dedicated Retail Crime Team.

"However, these results will mean little to the business owners whose livelihoods are affected, the shopworkers subjected to abuse and intimidation, or the security staff who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe. Shoplifting is not a victimless crime - it drives up costs, harms local businesses and leaves hardworking people feeling vulnerable.

"That is why Dorset Police and I remain absolutely committed to pursuing offenders, supporting victims and sending a clear message: if you steal from Dorset's businesses, you will be targeted, caught and brought to justice."

Dawn Rondeau-Irvine, Chief Operations Officer at We Are Weymouth Business Improvement District (BID), said they greatly valued the collaborative approach between police, businesses and partners in tackling retail crime in the town and the positive impact it was having.

She said: “The proactive, joined‑up approach in Weymouth has led to a significant increase in persistent offenders being brought before the courts and imprisoned, contributing to exceptionally low levels of shoplifting in the town.  

“Importantly, police responses to reports of theft and anti‑social behaviour from local businesses have been timely and effective, ensuring concerns are addressed quickly and visibly.”

All retailers in Dorset are encouraged to register for NiCE Investigate and make full use of the online reporting portal. Support and training are available through the Retail Crime Team.

To register for NiCE Investigate or to report retail crime online visit the Dorset Police website. Information can also be reported via 101 or if a crime is in progress, always dial 999. If you wish to report anonymously, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted online using its website or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.