Man arrested and charged with shop theft offences following partnership working operation in Walsall

Our neighbourhood officers arrested and later charged a man with two shop thefts following a joint partnership operation in Walsall.

Billy Williams, aged 29, from Walsall, was remanded to appear at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court today (Wed) charged with two shop thefts.

His arrest follows an operation which took place yesterday (Tues) and led by PC Jay Bradburn, who is our business crime officer as part of Neighbourhood Policing Week Of Action.

Officers from St Matthew’s neighbourhood team joined up with officers from Staffordshire Police as well as Enforcement Officers from Walsall Council.

The aim was to target those offenders who are using the transport network to travel between Walsall Cannock to commit business crime.

PC Bradburn said: “This operation was a great success and shows the importance of working together with other forces and partner agencies.

“Business crime has a big impact on communities in Walsall and Cannock.

“This includes assaults on shop workers and related anti-social behaviour as well as the economic impact on the businesses themselves.

“As well as making arrests we also had officers from our Offender 2 Recovery Team out and about offering tailored support to help people break the cycle of addiction and crime.”

Councillor Ian Benton, Portfolio Holder for Street Scene and Enforcement, at Walsall Council, said: “This is an excellent example of partnership working delivering real results for local communities.

“By working closely with West Midlands Police, Staffordshire Police and other agencies, we can share intelligence, coordinate enforcement activity and take action against those who commit crime across local authority boundaries.

“Business crime has a significant impact on retailers, staff and customers. Operations such as this help protect local businesses and support safer high streets.”

Shop thefts is a priority at Walsall LPA. We launched Op Marigold in a bid to tackle shop thefts across the Walsall borough.

For information about business crime go to  Business crime prevention | West Midlands Police

National Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action started on Monday and will run until Friday.

During the week we’ve looking at the vital work carried out every day by our neighbourhood policing teams, volunteers and community partners who help keep our communities safe throughout the year.

This week is an opportunity to really shine a light on the work carried out every day by our officers, staff, PCSOs and partners to look after our local communities.

For more information about Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action go to Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action 2026 | West Midlands Police