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There were more than 440,000 incidents of shop robberies recorded by police in the year to March.
Shoplifting is reaching “unacceptable” levels and is not being tackled properly, a Lords inquiry has found.
The crime is vastly underreported and the problem is so urgent that police forces must take “immediate action”, according to the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee.
He says retailers need to be able to report crimes more easily, more funding is needed for the rehabilitation of offenders and regulations need to be introduced to make it harder to sell stolen goods anonymously online.
The Interior Ministry said it was making assaults on shop workers a criminal offense and was deploying “thousands” of police dedicated to tackling shoplifting.
The Lords committee held an inquiry into tackling shoplifting during which it heard evidence from police chiefs, retailers and industry experts in May and September.
In a letter released today, police say more than 443,000 incidents of shop thefts were recorded by police in the year to March 2024 – the highest number ever recorded since the start of recordings 20 years ago.
But they represent “just a drop in the ocean” compared to the likely real numbers estimated at 17 million per year – which has “devastating consequences for businesses and families”.
Shop theft has evolved from an “individualized offense to organized, relentless, large-scale operations, accompanied by unprecedented levels of violence,” it adds.
Tracey Robertson, co-owner of Paw Prints – a small chain of pet stores in Yorkshire – says shoplifting costs her business around £8,000 a year.
“It's a financial impact for a family business. It's bad in the sense that it affects the staff who work for us because sometimes it's aggressive and violent,” she said.
Tracey Robertson, owner of a small chain of pet stores in Yorkshire, says shoplifting costs her around £8,000 a year.
The committee backed projects such as Project Pegasus – a partnership between retailers and police to tackle organized shoplifting gangs – but said there also needed a strategy to tackle local prolific offenders .
“The scale of the problem of shop theft in England and Wales is completely unacceptable and action, such as that underway under the Pegasus scheme, is vital and urgent,” said Lord Foster of Bath, chairman. of the committee.
The committee found that there is a widespread perception that shop thefts are not treated seriously by the police, which “risks undermining confidence in the police and the wider criminal justice system” .
It says shoplifting cost the retail sector almost £2 billion last year, leading to rising prices affecting individuals, families and communities.
“We recognize the pressures on police resources, but we believe that the urgency of the situation relating to store thefts requires immediate action within the existing police workforce,” the letter said.
He made a series of recommendations to the government that he said would “help address the problem and keep the public and our economy safe.”
These include:
Phase out the use of the outdated term “shoplifting,” which serves to trivialize the seriousness of the crime. Develop improved reporting systems to enable retailers to report crimes to the police quickly and easily. Increase funding for community recidivism and rehabilitation initiatives. Introduce regulations to make things more difficult. sell stolen goods on online marketplaces anonymouslyIntroduce regulations and best practice guidance for the use of facial recognition technology by private companies
Store owner Tracey Robertson says the recommendations don't go far enough and wants to see much harsher penalties for repeat offenders.
Criminology professor Emmeline Taylor, who gave evidence to the inquiry, said the committee's recommendations were “far-reaching” and included the multiple root causes of shop thefts.
“If adopted by police, industry and government, it will certainly go a long way towards reversing the tsunami of shop thefts which has hit the retail sector across the UK.”
The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said it welcomed the report which further highlights the significant impact of retail crime on its victims.
“We are doing everything we can to reduce thefts and prosecute offenders, particularly prolific and habitual offenders, who cause misery in the community,” said Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, head of acquisitive crime. at the NPCC.
The Home Office said it understood the “devastating impact” of shop thefts on communities.
A spokesperson added: “We are taking immediate action by committing to removing the £200 threshold for shop theft and making assaults on shop workers a criminal offence.
“We will also send thousands more police officers to our streets and establish a Retail Crime Forum to enable retailers to confidently implement tactics against store theft.”
