Crime is rife in Bracknell town centre with thieves 'stealing to order' as shoplifting levels has risen by 200 per cent.

Crime statistics show recorded shoplifting incidents rose from 13 in December 2022 to 39 in December 2023.

From prolific offenders to one-time shoplifters, shopkeepers are witnessing first-hand the increase in shoplifting. 

The News visited the town centre to chat with both businesses and shoppers about their thoughts on crime levels within Bracknell.

Aayush, the supervisor of Cheneys Newsagents on Bracknell High Street said: “At the end of 2023 we were seeing a rise in shoplifting so we had to take some action.

“We installed CCTV and now we make sure we have more staff working during the busy hours of the day which is normally the morning and evening.

“We’ve found that since we’ve put those measures in place, the shoplifting has gone down.”

One aspect that has been brought up about the rise in shoplifting, is the supposed shortage of police and security within the town centre.

The manager at Shopmobility Bracknell, Becky, said: “The amount of crime in this town right now is rife. When they hit us, they hit us hard and the last year has proven that.

“Every day I come into work and it’s ridiculous the shortage of police there is around the town centre despite the increase in crime.

“Stealing to order is apparently a big thing right now. People are requesting different things like perfume and clothes and getting someone else to steal it for them and they’re getting away with it.

“The real problem overall is that they built this new town with the hope of drawing more people to the centre and yet they aren’t able to properly staff it with enough security guards.”

Despite what customers and shopkeepers have said about the lack of security, the Lexicon have stated that they have actually increased their security team numbers, which includes a greater police presence.

Matthew Barber, Police & Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, said: “One of the greatest challenges in tackling shoplifting is under-reporting. We will shortly be launching a free App for retailers to report more easily directly to the police and share intelligence.

"As a result, I fully expect – and hope – that reported shoplifting will continue to increase in Bracknell and across Thames Valley. Without knowing about every incident, the police will be unable to act.

“Last month, I launched a Retail Crime Strategy which sees the police working closely with retailers and shopping centres, such as the Lexicon, to tackle prolific offenders and bring criminals to justice.

“Over the last 12 months, the police in Bracknell have nearly doubled the number of charges for shoplifting locally – up 92%. I expect the police to continue to improve visibility and work closely with businesses to tackle shoplifting and violence against shop workers.”

Thames Valley Police have stated that they are committed to tackling shoplifting and retail crime and are aware of the financial implications it has on the retail industry.

A spokesperson from Thames Valley Police said: “We continue to work with retail partners so that we can gather information as to the crime that is affecting them most.

“As such our focus will always be on retail crimes where there is violence or the threat of violence, crimes where prolific and repeat offenders are involved, and where the value of items taken is high and it is in these areas that we will continue our focus to bring offenders to justice.”

Rob Morris, general manager at The Lexicon says:  "Like the rest of the country, The Lexicon has seen an increase in the number of shoplifting offences over the past 12 months.   We are working closely with Thames Valley Police and Bracknell Forest Council to strengthen the measures that can be used to counter this rise in criminal activity.

“We are working closely with retailers to identify frequent prolific offenders so that evidence can be presented to Thames Valley Police to secure prosecution and where appropriate a Criminal Behaviour Order to prevent individuals from legally entering The Lexicon

"All our retailers are part of Bracknell Business Against Crime (BBAC), a collaboration between The Lexicon, Thames Valley Police and Bracknell Forest Council, which allows information to be quickly shared between all parties.  In addition, retailers are equipped with radios to keep in touch on a real-time basis, if shoplifters are seen in the town centre.

"We will continue to work with all interested parties to explore additional measures to endeavour to reduce the number of shoplifting incidents."