Op Wonderland launches in King's Lynn

Partnership working is the secret weapon to tackling shoplifting in King’s Lynn this Christmas.

The town’s annual shoplifting operation starts this week and will see local officers working even more closely with CCTV operators, street rangers and shop workers than ever before.

Operation Wonderland involves dedicated police patrols around the shopping areas of the town in a bid to deter criminals and have officers close at hand if incidents do happen. Officers on these patrols keep in regular contact with Borough Council CCTV operators to respond quickly to suspicious activity, as well as with shop workers and street rangers who can call up for help when needed.

West Norfolk Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Ben Jarvis said: “Tackling shoplifting is a year-round priority for us but we ramp up the pressure on thieves in the run up to Christmas. This is the time of year when we see a spike in people attempting to steal from shops and we will not let them get away with it.

“We know that shoplifting can have a massive impact on the shops and businesses in the town which then have to consider passing those losses on to everyone else.”

Officers work closely with the west Norfolk council Borough Council’s CCTV operators, local shops and the Discover King’s Lynn street rangers all year round to try to deter thieves from stealing in the first place. When incidents do happen, officers work hard to recover stolen goods and deal with offenders.

Vicky Etheridge, BID Manager at Discover King’s Lynn said: “This operation has run successfully for many years and makes a really big difference to the shops in the town. Christmas is an incredibly important time of year for many of the businesses here and it’s great to see something that helps to keep King’s Lynn a safe and enjoyable place to visit.”

Operation Wonderland begins after the switching on of the town’s Christmas lights on Sunday 25 November 2023, and will run until the end of December. Dedicated officers will be on duty each day covering both King’s Lynn town centre and Hardwick Retail Park. It will include officers from the local policing team, newly qualified officers from the Community Support Unit, Special Constables and response officers.

Insp Jarvis continued: “We know that local people want to see a visible police presence in their communities and operations like this are important to support that. Seeing uniformed police officers walking through town not only deters criminals but reassures shoppers and residents that we are a key part of the community and are there to help if needed.”