More than 40 people were arrested and police responded to over 500 incidents at retailers during Operation Retail in October.

The police operation was a month-long campaign to address anti-social behaviour and theft within Canberra’s shopping precincts.

Police say that during the October they responded to:

• 515 incidents at stores across the ACT, including 14 burglaries, 18 assaults and more than 250 thefts
• 42 people were arrested for various offences committed at shops in the ACT
• Police also conducted more than 50 proactive patrols at retail precincts

Police say that among those caught was a 14-year-old boy who was charged with multiple counts of theft after allegedly stealing more than $21,000 worth of alcohol from various liquor stores across Canberra, a 32-year-old Wanniassa man charged after allegedly stealing more than $3000 worth of products from retail outlets across Canberra and a 16-year-old girl who allegedly threatened a staff member with a knife at a department store.

A number of recidivist offenders were charged with police having laid twice as many charges on 80 per cent of offenders, of which 23 per cent were repeat offenders.