Police crackdown on business crime in Eastbourne
Seven people were spoken to by officers as part of a day of action
Police have been targeting business crime in Eastbourne as part of a day of action in the town centre.
A team of officers worked together on Wednesday, April 5, to catch criminals in the act.
In Seaside, police arrested a man known as Jack Beaver after finding a knife and stolen items from Tesco Express hidden under his coat.
The 31-year-old, of no fixed address, admitted theft and being in possession of a knife - he has been remanded in custody for sentencing next month.
A second man was also issued a caution for stealing ready meals from the Co-op in Cornfield Road – but it was later discovered that he had been wanted on recall to prison since February 2019 for a conviction in another area.
A man and a woman were banned from The Beacon shopping centre after trainers worth £92 were stolen from Sports Direct. The woman was arrested on suspicion of theft and will be summonsed to court.
Three other people were also spoken to by police for theft offences.
Inspector Sarah Taylor of the Eastbourne Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “Business crime is not a victimless crime – behind every business is a person or team of employees working hard to earn a living and provide a good service to their customers.
“We understand the financial and emotional impact that business crime can have on those working in our town. It can seriously affect a person’s livelihood, particularly when a business is targeted persistently.
“This day of action saw officers carry out multiple proactive interventions on shoplifters and take positive steps to stop them from reoffending.
“We hope this sends out the message that business crime will not be tolerated in Eastbourne. Our officers routinely patrol the town centre and will continue to work extremely closely with shop staff to identify and deter those responsible for causing harm in our community.”