Police will ‘ignore all thefts up to £100’ in Hungerford following budget cuts
Shop owners are expected to fill out a form and hand it into police if shoplifters steal less than £100 worth of items
POLICE will not hunt a town’s shoplifters if they steal less than £100 worth of goods.
Store owners must now fill out a form to report the crime to cops.
A senior officer broke the news at a council meeting in Hungerford, Berks, where the police station is up for sale.
Sgt Holly Nicholls, of the Thames Valley force, said they would no longer send an officer to investigate.
She said: “We won’t be making arrests all the time and taking it to the courts. It’s not practical.”
She added "Our main priorities are violence against the person, burglaries, theft from motor vehicles and so on."
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Councillor Carolann Farrell asked: “So less than £100 and you won’t be coming out?” Sgt Nicholls replied “Yes”. She added: “We need to be more cost effective in these times of austerity.”
"We will be working more closely with the council to deal with somethings - it will be much quicker and more flexible.
"In these times of austerity we need to be more cost effective."
Local mum Jayne Robertson said: This is appalling - we're going to be flooded with criminals who know they'll get off Scot-free if they make sure they keep the bill under £100.
"What sort of message does this send out? What are we paying our rates for if the police won't turn up to arrest shoplifters? It's crazy."
When the police station is sold some officers will stay local but the nearest nick will be eight miles away.