ACT Policing has been targeting anti-social behaviour and thefts from retailers at major shopping centres.
Joint operations were conducted by police at shopping centres across the ACT to quickly identify and address individuals who were doing the wrong thing.
Officers worked in collaboration with centre management, onsite security and retailers to identify people stealing and generally being anti-social.
Since Tuesday, ACT Policing and shopping centres have taken a range of actions from supporting the issuing of banning notices - through to the application of criminal charges. These include:
- Nine banning notices issues
- Four criminal cautions issued
- Four charges of criminal trespass
- Five breaches of bail
- One charge of unlawful possession of stolen property
- Five charges of theft
- One charge of property damage
- One charge of breach of good behaviour order
- One hinter Territory public official
- One resist Territory public official
Some officers were patrolling shops in uniform, while others were in plain clothes and, in some situations, were able to witness and intervene as the incidents occurred.
Targeted operations involving uniformed and plain clothes officers are expected to continue in the coming weeks and months.
"Put simply - from now on, anyone in a shopping centre could be an on-duty police officer - ready to respond as required," ACT Policing said in a statement.
Those witnessing a crime are reminded to call police on 131 444 for non-urgent matters. To provide information about criminal behaviour Crime Stoppers is on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website.
