City police say shoplifting complaints have dropped 19 percent since the agency began posting the names and booking photos of those arrested on the department’s website.
The trial program began Aug. 7 with the information going online weekly on Friday.
Police say the campaign also helped drop shoplifting incidents for the year by 12 percent compared with 2013.
The number for 2013 dropped below 1,000 for the first time since 2010.
“The Dover Police Department is pleased with the program’s success and will continue the program for the foreseeable future,” according to a news release. ” The feedback from merchants and the public in the city of Dover has largely been positive and the results can be directly tied to the notification program.”
From 2011 through 2013, the department investigated 3,290 shoplifting cases, averaging 3 per day.