Perfume thief calmly stuffs bottles into his bag – before being arrested moments later by police who tracked his movements on CCTV
This is the moment a prolific thief calmly looted shelves of designer perfumes, only to be arrested by police moments later.
Homeless Paul Michael Whitehead was seen buying several bottles of perfume from a store in the City of London by staff who recognized him.
They reported the alarm to City of London police, who used CCTV cameras to help quickly locate and capture the 46-year-old.
It comes as the force today launches its Safer City Streets initiative, with officers deployed across a network of police sentry boxes across the City of London, the so-called Square Mile business district.
Police will be on duty on foot and bicycle to keep the streets safe and catch wanted criminals.
Nearly a third (31%) of the 1,400 shoplifting offenses in the Square Mile last year resulted in an arrest, charge or conviction; This rate is higher than the national average of approximately 18.5%.
City of London Police Commissioner Pete O’Doherty said: ‘These results show the true value of neighborhood policing and the strong relationships our officers have built with retailers and businesses across the City.
‘They are much more likely to come forward and work with us when they have confidence that their reports will be acted upon, offenders will be pursued and results will be achieved.
Paul Michael Whitehead, 46, was caught on camera calmly stealing perfume bottles.
Spotted by staff who alerted City of London Police
After taking in the designer scents, she walked away calmly
However, City of London Police control room staff were able to identify the suspect on the CCTV camera network and officers were sent to arrest him.
Police sentries are used to help prevent and detect crime in the Square Mile, where arrests, charges and convictions for theft are well above the national average
‘Tackling shoplifting and other money-making crime is a priority for the City of London Police and these figures show that our officers, supported by advanced CCTV and intelligence-led policing, are identifying criminals, making arrests and protecting businesses and victims.’
Tijs Broeke, chief executive of the City of London Police Authority, added: ‘Retail crime, including theft, is a blight on businesses in the Square Mile, damaging trust and affecting staff every day. Tackling this should be a priority.
‘Safer City Streets shows what can be achieved through visible policing, targeted action, smart use of technology and a proactive approach to protecting businesses and detecting criminals.’
The city’s CCTV network remains one of the most advanced policing assets in the country, allowing officers and control room staff to monitor suspects in real time, direct resources instantly and protect businesses, employees and the public
On 17 April, City of London Police control room officers were alerted after store staff recognized Whitehead, who had shoplifted days earlier.
Control room officers activated CCTV cameras to track Whitehead’s movements from One New Change to Paternoster Square; where he broke into a supermarket and stole two bottles of wine.
They then tracked him to Fleet Street and directed response officers to his location.
Whitehead was arrested by officers and later pleaded guilty to burglary charges committed on 14 and 15 April; where he forced open perfume cabinets and stole products worth more than £1,200 in total.
He was taken into custody and will be sentenced next month.
The police have invested Home Office funding to analyze crime data and embed hotspot policing as a permanent strategy, providing officers with data-driven briefings on exactly when and where to carry out highly visible patrols to maximize crime reductions.
Police are adding new cameras to hotspot areas in addition to the CCTV network to better detect criminals.
Police said this had already led to a reduction in violent and sexual offences, robbery and retail crime.
