SHOPLIFTING yobs will be snared with facial recognition under a police blitz launching today to crush the crime wave.
Top cops met ministers and store chiefs this morning to rubber-stamp plans being rolled out as part of Operation Pegasus.
It will include a pledge for officers to investigate any evidence that could lead to catching an aisle-thieving criminal.
Police will vow to urgently swoop on any scene where shop workers have suffered violence, or where security have detained a shoplifter.
All other offences will be responded to based on risk, with nabbing prolific and young offenders prioritised.
Serial shoplifters will be identified with state-of-the-art face ID by the police national database to help efforts to prosecute them.
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However the rollout of more face ID will likely anger civil liberties campaigners warning against Big Brother style tech.
Shoplifting has surged by more than a quarter this past year to hit more than a thousand reports a day.
In the 12 months to June, a staggering 365,164 cases were reported to the police.
Despairing bosses from 13 retailers including Tesco, Lidl and Primark are contributing £840,000 to help Pegasus get going.
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Policing Minister Chris Philp said: “I want a new zero-tolerance approach to tackling shoplifting.
"It is a blight on our highstreets and communities and puts the livelihoods of traders at risk. I am determined to drive forward change.”
Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Acquisitive Crime, added: “We welcome the collaboration between retailers, police and crime commissioners and policing through Project Pegasus which centralises intelligence and enhances our ability to identify and tackle the groups involved.”
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