High Barnet police crackdown on shoplifting leading to more arrests in the last five months than the previous three years

A concerted police operation targeting shoplifting in Barnet High Street and around the Everyman cinema has resulted in 47 arrests in the last five months – far more than the total number of arrests made during the previous three years.

High Barnet and Barnet Vale neighbourhood police teams believe their crackdown is helping to restore confidence among shopkeepers and retail businesses while also easing concern among shoppers.

In several operations, plain clothes police officers were deployed to monitor shops which have suffered most from shoplifting.

There have also been a series of arrests for the theft of motor vehicles and of motorcyclists who have been loitering in the High Street with other motorcycle riders waiting to make fast-food deliveries.

Police Sergeant Glenn Parker (above, far right), who has been leading the High Barnet team since the start of the year, said he made tackling the increase in shoplifting his top priority.

Members of the Barnet Society will have the chance to put questions direct to Sgt Parker at the society’s annual meeting at Pennefather Hall, Christ Church, St Albans Road, on Thursday 19 June. (Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start).

When Sgt Parker took up his post in Barnet in early February – after two years serving with a police response team based at Colindale – he realised that shoplifting in the High Street and in the shops close to the Everyman cinema had become a real problem.

“Unfortunately, a lot of shopkeepers and business owners had lost confidence in the police to such an extent that they had stopped reporting cases of shoplifting.

“Since we stepped up the level of engagement, we have made progress, and shopkeepers are now reporting offences, and they are doing much more to co-operate with the police.

“One regular shoplifter who had been targeting the same shops has now received a 92-week sentence.”

Another prolific offender was seen by two plain clothes officers stealing from the High Street – and whose theft was also recorded on CCTV – was sentenced to seven days in prison plus a £400 fine.

Sgt Parker – seen above with PC Richard Maggott, PC Tabitha Hutchins and Mahender Khari, chair of High Barnet community action panel – was praised for his determined approach when he reported on the neighbourhood team’s success to community representatives.

The knock on from targeting shoplifting was that it seemed to have influenced a 25 per cent reduction in the number of residential burglaries. Often those responsible were linked to shoplifting.

He said that since the start of the year there had been seven arrests for car theft – including the arrest of three suspects who were caught driving in Barnet Gate Lane with a Range Rover stolen in Hertfordshire.

Sgt Parker acknowledged the complaints about obstruction and intimidation caused by motorcycle deliver riders congregating with their bikes in parking spaces in the High Street outside or close to McDonalds and other fast-food businesses.

“We have arrested four motorcyclists this week when loitering in the High Street. We can only start checking their licences and documents if they are seen moving with their machines.

“We need to make a vehicle stop so we can be sure the motorcyclist is with his machine otherwise it is not so easy to intervene if all the machines are parked in the street.

Mahender Khari – seen above (right) with Sachin Rajput, chair of the Barnet Vale community action panel – said there was no doubt that shopkeepers and shoppers had appreciated the impact of the police crackdown on shoplifting.

“We know Barnet shopkeepers are more reassured than before. Shoppers have also noticed the change. Elderly people were worried by the possibility that shoplifters were carrying weapons.”

Mr Khari said the rapid response of the safer neighbourhood police team was badly needed: of the 118 offences reported in High Barnet in February this year, 22 related to shoplifting.

Yet during the whole of 2024 there had been only two arrests for shoplifting in High Barnet.

Shops that have been monitored and targeted by the police this year included Waitrose, Poundland and JD Sports in The Spires shopping centre; Boots and Iceland in the High Street; and Tesco and the BP petrol station shop near the Everyman cinema.

Mr Rajput said the response in Barnet Vale – and especially around the junction of Station Road and the Great North Road – had been impressive.

“We certainly do have at present a very pro-active team which is addressing the concerns in our area. What is so important as well is there is now a definite police presence.”