Partnership work leads to charges and recovery of stolen goods – Watford

A man has been charged with theft offences thanks to partnership working between police and Watford Borough Council.

Janis Sostaks, aged 28, of no fixed address, has been charged with three counts of theft of a pedal cycle and one count of going equipped for theft.

The result came after CCTV operators from Watford Borough Council alerted police to two men acting suspiciously in Charter Place, on the morning of Wednesday 11 October. Officers immediately attended and made an arrest, before recovering three sets of pliers.

Sostaks’ charges relate to the theft of three bicycles from Watford town centre, committed between Sunday 8 October and Tuesday 10 October.

He has been released on conditional bail and is next due to appear at St Albans Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 6 February 2024.

On Thursday 12 October, officers arrested a separate man on suspicion of drug offences. When he was stopped by police the man was found to be in possession of a bike, which after some quick checks was determined to be one of the three stolen earlier in the week. It was seized and later returned to its rightful owner.

Inspector Dan Jones, who leads the Watford Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “This result is a great example of Watford’s Community Safety Partnership (CSP) working together to reduce crime and make the town a safer place.

“Watford’s CCTV operators are very important members of the CSP as they support us in closely monitoring the town for suspicious activity and/or crime in progress; they’re our extra pair of eyes!

“We’re really pleased to have secured these criminal charges, and to have reunited a victim of crime with their stolen property.”

Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: “I want to thank the CCTV operators and the police for their great partnership work, which led to this arrest. Our council-funded CCTV network helps keep residents safe and assists in identifying and apprehending criminals. Thanks to their quick thinking, a resident has been reunited with their bicycle and multiple people have been arrested and charged.

“I am proud of the partnership work we undertake with the police as part of our “Safer Watford” initiative and events like this underscore how important this work is. We're committed to reducing crime and ensuring Watford remains a safe and welcoming place for all.”

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