Yahoo News New figures reveal huge jump in UK shoplifting crimes
Shop owners have asked the government to specifically outlaw attacks on retail workers.
New figures have revealed the scale of Britain's shoplifting crisis, as offences recorded by police rose to the highest level in 20 years.
A total of 430,104 offences were logged by police forces in England and Wales last year, up more than a third (37%) on the 315,040 recorded in the previous 12 months to December 2022. The figure is the highest since current records began in the year to March 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which described the latest increase as “notable”.
The data published on Thursday comes after major retailers raised concerns about the rising cost of theft. While some of Britain's biggest stores reportedly signed up to a police-back plan to crack down on shoplifters, smaller retailers are still suffering at the hands of thieves in stores.
Experts have linked rising levels of shoplifting to the cost of living crisis, which has seen the cost of basic food stuffs rise, along with use of food banks. One police expert told Sky News earlier this year that meat, dairy and butter are among the most stolen items, due to rising prices and high resale value.
A government minister said in January, however, that the cost of living crisis is 'not an excuse' for shoplifting, as the UK has a 'very generous' benefits system. Escalating levels of retail theft have also been blamed on inflation, organised crime and a lack of focus from police.
Last year, shop owners asked the government to specifically outlaw attacks on retail workers as stores experienced a spike in thefts. Business leaders have urged then-home secretary Suella Braverman to create a new offence of assaulting, threatening or abusing a retail worker, following increased attacks from organised crime groups.
What happens if you get caught shoplifting on camera in the UK?
Shoplifting refers to taking goods from a shop without paying for them first.
If caught shoplifting, a person will either will be charged with theft under section 1 of the Theft Act 1986; or, if the goods stolen are worth less than £200, for low-value shoplifting under section 176 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act.
In Northern Ireland, the law regarding shoplifting is outlined in the Theft Act (Northern Ireland) 1969.
Why are shoplifters not being prosecuted?
The change stems from the requirement in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 for any shoplifting offence less than £200 to be treated as a summary offence, which should be handled through a penalty notice fine of just £70 without the thief having to turn up at magistrates.
One former Scotland Yard detective said that the downgrade had given a green light to police to abandon prosecutions and investigations into such thefts, which could tie up an officer for six to eight hours when they could be tackling more serious crime.
He said in 2021: "The government has effectively decriminalised shoplifting. Provided a thief stays below the £200 threshold, they are not going to be arrested. Police won't be called and the worst they get is a fixed penalty of £70 and they are still in profit with £130."
Retailers are now calling on the government to outlaw attacks on retail workers specifically.
BRC chief executive Dickinson added: "It's time the government put their words into action. We need to see a standalone offence for assaulting or abusing a retail worker, as exists in Scotland.
"We need government to stand with the millions of retail workers who kept us safe and fed during the pandemic – and support them, as those workers supported us."
What is the punishment for shoplifting?
Currently, shoplifting does not automatically lead to time in prison. If the goods are worth less than £200, the maximum sentence is six months in prison, but this type of offence is usually dealt with by issuing a postal fine.
Anything over £200 could lead to a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
However, the actual sentence depends on the value of the goods stolen and whether the offender has any previous convictions.
In addition to criminal penalties, shoplifters may also face civil penalties, such as being banned from the store or having to pay compensation to the store for any damage or loss caused.
The 2021 Protection of Workers Act is an act of the Scottish Parliament to create an offence of assaulting, threatening or abusing retail workers, and to provide for a statutory aggravation of that offence where the retail worker is enforcing a statutory age restriction.
This applies in Scotland only, and does not apply in the rest of the UK.
What is being done to tackle shoplifting
John Lewis is among 10 of the UK's biggest retailers to have agreed to fund a police operation to crack down on shoplifting, dubbed Project Pegasus.
The companies are expected to pay around £600,000 towards the project, which will utilise CCTV pictures and facial recognition technology to get a better understanding of shoplifting operations. It is said that the project will benefit all retailers.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Shoplifting strikes at the heart of the British high street, and the policing minister has asked forces to take a zero tolerance approach to this crime.
"By enabling retailers to share better information on shoplifting with police forces and build up a national strategic picture, Project Pegasus will help crack down on criminal gangs across the country."
Home Office minister Chris Philp said: "We have record police numbers and I expect them to help all retailers.
"This scheme will help all retailers, not just the big ones, as it will identify criminal gangs.
"It is an important part of the response."
Watch: Camera crew catches thief as store boss is interviewed about shoplifting
