Shop theft is an underreported crime that is not being
effectively tackled, leading to a devastating impact on the
retail sector and the wider economy, according to the House of
Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee.
In a letter to the Home Office, published today, the committee
highlights that there are almost 17 million incidents of shop
theft annually, with few leading to an arrest and costing the
retail sector almost £2 billion last year. Resulting price rises
impact individuals, families and communities.
The nature of the offence has evolved from individualised
offending to relentless, large-scale, organised operations
accompanied by unprecedented levels of violence. It is now seen
as a lucrative profit-making opportunity which is being exploited
by organised networks of criminals.
Prolific offenders suffering from drug and alcohol addictions can
typically steal up to £900 worth of goods each day to fund their
habit and often rely on organised networks to resell the stolen
goods for profit. This highlights the crucial need for better
community-based drug and alcohol treatment interventions.
There is a widespread perception that shop theft is not treated
seriously by the police. The Committee recognises the need for a
quicker reporting system, better data collection and intelligence
sharing between police forces across the UK.
Existing schemes such as Business Crime Reduction Partnerships
(linking police and local businesses) are welcome, but should all
be part of the National Standards Accreditation Scheme. And a new
national scheme, Pegasus, to improve data collection and sharing
is also welcome.
We acknowledge the pressures on police resources, but we believe
that the urgency of the situation relating to shop theft requires
immediate action within existing police staffing levels.
The Committee's recommendations to the Government include:
- Phasing out the use of the outdated term “shoplifting” which
serves to trivialise the severity of the offence
- Supporting the plan to repeal the offence of “low-value
shoplifting” under s176 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and
Policing Act, which in practice is decriminalising shop theft
where the value of the goods does not exceed £200.
- Supporting the creation of a standalone offence of assaulting
a retail worker
- Developing improved reporting systems to enable retailers to
report crime to the police quickly and easily
- Improving mechanisms for police and criminal justice systems
to recognise and record when a crime has taken place in a retail
setting
- Increasing funding to community-based reoffending and
rehabilitation initiatives
- Targeting the stolen goods market with public awareness
campaigns
- Introducing regulations and best practice guidance for the
use of facial recognition technology by private companies.
, Chair of the House of
Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee Said:
“In March 2024, 443,9953 incidents of shop theft were recorded by
police – a 30% increase on the previous year and the highest-ever
level since comparable records began over twenty years ago. But
the figures are “a drop in the ocean” when compared with likely
real figures estimated at 17 million with devastating
consequences for businesses and families.
“The scale of the shop theft problem within England and Wales is
totally unacceptable and action, like that underway in the
Pegasus scheme, is vital and urgent.
There's no silver bullet. But, if adopted, the recommendations in
our report should help tackle the problem and help keep the
public and our economy safer.”
