A man has been apprehended by a plainclothes officer after being chased down on foot at a West Auckland shopping centre.
New Lynn Police Station officer-in-charge Sergeant Samantha Cox said police were alerted after security spotted the man returning to a store and allegedly attempting to shoplift.
“The officer approached the man and instructed him to wait for uniformed officers, but the suspect fled the store.”
The policeman then chased the accused thief through the mall and into the carpark before catching him.
Footage showed the officer changing from his plain woollen hat to a police issue cap while holding the suspect down.
Cox said quick identification allowed the man to be swiftly apprehended, and she emphasised the importance of catching shoplifters.
“This type of offending, no matter the scale, has a negative impact on our local businesses.”
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