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Operation Vulture is Lancashire Constabulary’s response to shoplifting across the county, backed by Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw and the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime (LANPAC).
The operation sees dedicated officers undertaking hotspot patrolling, increasing their visibility in targeted areas and creating strong partnerships with retailers across the county to better share intelligence, get a deeper understanding of retail crime and identify more offenders.
Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: "As Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner, I will continue to work alongside the Chief Constable to establish a more proactive approach to shoplifting, with better protection for shop workers and improved relationships between retailers and the police.”
Here are the faces of 37 prolific shoplifters that were punished for their crimes this year:
9. Tanya Tidswell
Tanya Tidswell, 44, of Portree Road, Blackpool, was given a three-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, for varying shoplifting offences on April 22. She was also given a two-year criminal behaviour order which banned her from entering 17 stores, including Aldi, Morrisons and Tesco. | Lancashire Police
10. Stacey Swift
On August 16, officers were called to reports a woman was stealing food from a store on Lytham Road, Blackpool. Stacey Swift, 39, of no fixed address, was soon arrested and later charged with 11 counts of shoplifting over a period of two months. She was subsequently jailed for 11 months and handed a criminal behaviour order. | Lancashire Police
11. Anthony Monaghan
Anthony Monaghan was arrested on April 28 on suspicion of shoplifting and attempted robbery after entering a store in the Thornton-Cleveleys area. Monaghan, 58, of no fixed address, was later charged with eight shoplifting offences and one attempted robbery offence. The incidents occurred between January 12 and April 20. Monaghan was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison for the shoplifting offences. | Lancashire Police Photo: Lancashire Police
12. Kenneth McEwan
Officers were informed by staff at a store in Blackpool that they were being targeted by an individual, sometimes visiting up to three times a day. Kenneth McEwan was subsequently arrested after he was spotted shoplifting food items and running out of the store. The 43-year-old had 12 outstanding offences against him, all from the same store. He was charged and remanded for all 12 offences and sentenced to 18 weeks in prison. | Lancashire Police