A joint policing operation has resulted in 25 arrests, 27 charges and thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise recovered.
On Dec. 12, Delta police joined forces with the Surrey Police Service (SPS) and the Metro Vancouver Transit Police for a one-day shoplifting project at Surrey’s City Centre.
The project was also supported by private enterprise loss prevention staff.
“Participating in joint projects with other police agencies increases law enforcement effectiveness, cross-trains officers, and builds a solid foundation of cooperative problem-solving,” said A/Insp. James Sandberg, public affairs manager for Delta police. “Officers learned new investigative skills from each other, processed several arrests, and returned stolen items to businesses. All in all, a very effective collaboration that the DPD looks forward to building upon with our partners from Surrey and Transit Police.”
One replica firearm, four hunting knives, and two cans of bear spray were seized from the suspects upon their arrests. Over $3,000 in stolen merchandise was recovered and returned to retailers.
“Shoplifting incidents often do not simply involve theft from businesses and the commensurate loss of product and inconvenience, they also can present risks to staff and customers at the retail locations,” added SPS media liaison Ian MacDonald.
SPS said this crime type has also been steadily increasing in frequency in Surrey over the past two years.
In 2022 there were 2,596 reported shoplifting incidents; and in 2023 that number had increased to 3,314, a 28 per cent increase. Year-to-date in 2024 there have been over 3,800 reported shoplifting incidents, representing a 15 per cent increase over 2023 and a 46 per cent increase over 2022.
