Police have arrested 64 people following a major crackdown on shoplifting across Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield. The operation, led by Hertfordshire Constabulary, ran from late 2025 through March 2026 to target retail crime in local town centres.
Known as Operation Hornet (also referred to as Operation Hotspot), the initiative used plain-clothes officers to identify and catch shoplifters in areas identified as retail crime hotspots. By the time the operation concluded on 2 April 2026, officials had charged 158 offences with a total value exceeding £41,000. In addition to the arrests, officers issued 32 community resolutions and used anti-social behaviour powers 29 times. Six individuals have already been jailed, while other cases continue to move through the court system.
Chief Inspector Pete Frost said the operation has helped build stronger relationships with local shop managers and security teams. He noted that the project was designed to provide reassurance to the business community, confirming that tackling retail theft remains a priority for the police throughout the year.
This local effort comes as retail theft remains a significant national concern. According to the British Retail Consortium, shoplifting costs retailers across the UK more than £2.2 billion annually. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that reported shoplifting offences across England and Wales reached 530,643 in the year leading up to March 2025, which was a record high at the time, marking a 19.5% increase from the previous year.
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