Prolific shoplifters jailed as police step up patrols in Newtown

A new team of neighbourhood policing officers has helped jail prolific shoplifters following targeted patrols in Newtown.

Neighbourhood Guarantee officers, deployed to Montgomeryshire in early March, have been focusing on shoplifting in town centre retail areas. In their first month, they have resolved 22 offences, with a significant number linked to activity in Newtown.

Police said 15 of those offences were committed by three prolific offenders. All three were charged, remanded in custody and later sentenced to a combined total of 37 weeks in prison.

The remaining seven offences were dealt with through community resolution orders or educational interventions, in what officers described as a victim focused approach aimed at repairing harm caused by crime.

Five additional neighbourhood policing officers have been introduced to the area through the Home Office funded Neighbourhood Guarantee initiative. In Newtown, they have been carrying out a mix of high visibility and plain clothes patrols in shopping areas to deter theft and disrupt offenders.

The team has also supported wider policing work in the town, including responding to welfare concerns, assisting at road traffic collisions and helping locate high risk individuals.

Chief Inspector Matthew Price 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.”

As part of their community work, officers also visited Newtown College to speak to students about careers in policing and promote the Special Constable programme.

Dyfed-Powys Police is currently recruiting volunteer Special Constables, who have full police powers and work alongside regular officers, with successful applicants in the Montgomeryshire area expected to support the neighbourhood team in towns such as Newtown.