TORIES PLEDGE BLITZ ON 'SCUMBAG' STORE THIEVES

Plan for expanded use of CCTV by police to prosecute more serial shoplifters

- By Michael Knowles

MORE career criminals will be jailed under Tory plans to force police to build stronger cases against shoplifters.

The Daily Express can reveal that officers will be told to run all CCTV images of retail thefts through the millions of entries on the police national computer database to identify and build prosecutions.

In a major win for our Stop the Shoplifters crusade, the expanded use of facial recognition technology will lead to more offenders being caught and thrown into prison, Conservatives believe.

If a shoplifter is committing their first offence, the images will be added to the PNC so when they commit their next crime, facial recognition technology can identify them, link them and allow officers to move forward in both cases.

Retailers estimate up to 70% of thefts from their stores are carried out by just 10% of shoplifters.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told the Express: “Shoplifting has surged 20% under Labour to the highest ever level.

“We need a zero-tolerance crackdown where shoplifters are actually caught and sent to prison.

“Ramping up facial recognition technology can do this. The next Conservative government will ensure police use all the tools at their disposal to clamp down hard and deliver the law and order our businesses and high streets deserve.

“These scumbags are putting livelihoods at risk with rampant theft and Labour’s weak tolerance of this scandal must end.” Mr Philp will today announce at the Tory Conference in Manchester proposals that grant police sweeping stop-and-search powers in the country’s 2,000 highest-crime areas.