POLICE have launched their biggest ever Christmas crackdown at Lakeside shopping centre.The blitz on thieves, codenamed Operation Christmas Presence, will see extra officers drafted in from around the county to patrol the mall, its carparks and nearby retail parks.
Their numbers will be further bolstered by Essex Police’s mounted unit.
The automated number plate recognition intercept team, who can tell within seconds whether a vehicle is untaxed or uninsured, or has been used in a crime, will also be joining them.
Police hope the crackdown, launched yesterday, will drive crooks away from the centre and stop car break-ins and pickpockets targeting shoppers.
Supt Ivor Harvey warned crooks not to bother visiting the centre.
He said: “The message we want to get across is simple: shop at Lakeside and we will look out for your personal safety.
“Commit a crime at Lakeside, and we will find you and deal with you in the appropriate way.
“Lakeside has always been a safe place to shop, and we are here to make sure it stays that way. We have gained a vast amount of specialist resources for this operation from various parts of the force.
“But it will still be business as usual in the towns, which will still have the same number of officers ensuring their neighbourhoods are just as safe.”
During the campaign, shoppers will also be given advice about how to avoid becoming a victim of crime.
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