Retail Theft Reaches 20-Year Peak: ONS Data Shows
Expressing concern over the ‘epidemic’ of retail crime, industry leaders have urged the government to increase street patrols and prioritize responses to theft.
In England and Wales, shoplifting has reached its highest level in twenty years, coinciding with yearly increases in robberies, thefts, and offenses involving knives.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) noted that the increases in shoplifting and robbery offenses were significant. Police-recorded robbery offenses rose by 13 percent from 71,983 offenses in the year ending December 2022 to 81,094 offenses.
Additionally, there were increases in thefts from a person, with an 18 percent yearly rise, as well as a 7 percent surge in offenses involving knives or sharp instruments.
According to the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), the ONS data represents only a fraction of the actual shop theft scenario.
James Lowman, the chief executive of ACS, commented on the latest crime statistics, stating that the surge was not unexpected. He emphasized the need for every police force in the country to take theft seriously to deter offenders and protect shopworkers from abuse.
Policing Minister Chris Philp highlighted the decrease in the homicide rate but acknowledged the necessity of addressing shop theft and knife crime in London more effectively.
Policing Priorities
The government recently announced a change in retail crime policy, making assaulting a shop worker a standalone criminal offense under the Criminal Justice Bill. This decision follows long-standing efforts by retailers and MPs to combat the rising levels of shop theft and violence against shopkeepers.
Paddy Lillis, the general secretary of USDAW, expressed concern over the 37 percent increase in shoplifting, labeling it as evidence of an epidemic of retail crime. He urged the government to fulfill its promises to tackle retail crime effectively.
The opposition, led by Labour, aims to increase neighborhood police presence to address anti-social behavior. Meanwhile, Home Secretary James Cleverly believes the current government is improving safety, while Labour’s Yvette Cooper criticized the lack of action in Downing Street.
Labour plans to end the £200 threshold rule introduced in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime, and Policing Act 2014 in England and Wales, which allows shoplifters stealing under £200 worth of goods to face a maximum six-month sentence and plead guilty by post.
With upcoming elections for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in various areas, retailers are calling on PCCs to clarify how local forces will prioritize responses to theft according to the government’s Retail Crime Action Plan.
