Britain's first 'private police force' takes 'burglar' to court after cops didn't investigate theft | The Sun
BRITAIN'S first "private police force" have taken a burglar to court after cops didn't investigate the theft of steaks and prosecco.
TM Eye were called in after £500 of sirloin, T-Bone and 20 bottles of bubbly were pinched from a Marks and Spencer.
The private investigating force – compromised of ex-cops – were able to identify the culprit on the store's CCTV and make an arrest.
Body cam footage from two detectives allegedly shows a thief making a confession before being cuffed, the Telegraph reported.
The suspect – who faces a maximum of 14 years in prison – is now set to be prosecuted for five burglaries.
One is for a second alleged offence at the same supermarket, which has not been identified.
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TM Eye's founder David McKelvey told the Telegraph: "The lesson is that every burglary deserves an investigation because there is always an opportunity to solve the case if you take the time to do the basics."
His firm employs 100 cops who don police-like uniforms with red stab-proof vests.
While 28 plain-clothes detectives roam the streets and mingle with shoppers.
Footage obtained by The Sun showed undercover TM Eye operatives pile in and cuff three alleged thugs caught unloading £3,000 of Tesco goods into their BMW.
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It reportedly took Essex Police 35 minutes to respond to the incident Waltham Abbey earlier this month, the firm said.
When TM Eye detectives arrest shoplifters, they hand them over to the police.
But if they believe they have enough evidence, they send it to magistrates' court to request a private prosecution.
Using its own team of lawyers, the company has prosecuted 300 thieves in court and won 299 cases.
Shoplifting costs firms nearly £1billion a year and officers currently fail to attend more than two-thirds of serious retail crimes.
And a recent survey found episodes of violence and abuse against retail workers increased from 450 a day in 2019 to more than 850 a day last year.
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Blakesley, of Essex Police said of the Waltham Abbey incident: “We’re acutely aware of the impact theft has on our businesses and we work extremely hard, first and foremost, to respond to incidents when they happen and make arrests.
"…and, secondly, to ensure businesses are supported by our dedicated business crime team when they feel they would benefit from that independent advice.
“In this case, officers from our community policing team arrived quickly to make arrests and we thank all members of the public who reported the incident to us.”
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