Christchurch police say they are pleased with the outcome of a week-long retail crime operation run in partnership with Eastgate Mall.

The operation, known as Operation Guardian, took place from Monday 23 June to Friday 27 June and focused on shoplifting, trespassing, and drug possession in and around the mall.

Over the five-day period, 14 people were subject to police action, most for shoplifting offences. One of those resulted in an arrest.

Police also arrested one person for using a stolen credit card, and a youth referred to Youth Aid for shoplifting was found to be in possession of cannabis.

Senior Sergeant Phil Newton said the operation began positively, with no enforcement action required on the first day.

“This operation is vital for retailers, and their trust and confidence in policing,” Newton said.

“Not just our retailers, but the members of our community have been able to see a visible Police presence in the area over the last week. While that is not something that will be in place all the time, we have been able to identify when is best to deploy our staff to those areas.

“We’ll continue to work with retailers in the area to ensure they feel safe. Our staff were also on the ground providing prevention advice to retailers.”

Police are encouraging anyone who witnesses suspicious or illegal behaviour to report it. If it is happening at the time, call 111. If it is after the fact, people can make a report via 105, including as much detail as possible.