Record Surge in Shoplifting Crimes Triggers Debate on Police Response
There is a growing controversy surrounding the response of police chiefs to the alarming increase in shoplifting crimes, as demands by ministers to investigate every case come face to face with the practical challenges of limited police resources. The issue was brought into focus by the recent record surge in thefts from stores, with a staggering 1,000 shoplifting offences reported by police every day in the year leading up to June 2023—an alarming 25% rise. This figure, however, represents only a fraction of the eight million incidents reported by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), costing an estimated £1 billion.
Ministers are urging police to adopt a proactive approach by investigating every crime, even if the stolen items fall below the £200 threshold, as long as there is a reasonable line of inquiry. They are also calling for an emergency-level response when shop staff detain a thief. However, police chiefs argue that due to the overwhelming demand, it is simply not feasible for officers to respond to every shoplifting case.
In an effort to strike a balance, police chiefs maintain that they will attend incidents where a crime is in progress and a suspect is still on the scene, especially if the situation presents the potential for violence or escalation. Nevertheless, Katy Bourne, the police and crime commissioner and national lead for retail crime, believes that police should go even further by attending any shoplifting incident involving violence or abuse, even if the perpetrator has already left the premises. Bourne argues that such follow-up actions from the police can provide reassurance to both staff and customers. She has urged police chiefs to reevaluate their guidance on attending such incidents.
These differing opinions on the appropriate response to the surge in shoplifting crimes are expected to be discussed at a roundtable meeting, held on Monday, which will bring together ministers, police chiefs, and leading retailers. It is evident that tensions exist between the ambition to adopt a tougher approach and the reality faced by the police in terms of their capabilities and limitations. While it is universally agreed that technology should play a more prominent role in addressing the issue, this fact does little to bridge the divide between the opposing views on police intervention.
To this end, the Metropolitan Police plans to roll out a scheme across London that will enable retailers to submit images of suspected shoplifters. These images will be cross-referenced with police databases using facial recognition technology, facilitating more effective and streamlined reporting of shoplifting incidents where no offender has been apprehended or violence has occurred. A similar one-touch reporting initiative has been piloted by Sussex Police and 24 Co-op stores. The scheme allows retailers to file theft reports instantaneously, eliminating the need for time-consuming phone calls.
Also, the policing minister, Chris Philp, is advocating for the use of facial recognition technology to check images of suspected shoplifters, thieves, and burglars against all police and official databases, including passport records. Philp is pushing for a nationwide implementation of this approach. Furthermore, a new national data-sharing initiative will be announced on Monday, targeting organized crime gangs specializing in shoplifting. This initiative will facilitate the pooling of intelligence between police forces and retailers, ultimately mapping out the activities of these gangs and helping to curb their criminal operations.
In an extraordinary effort to combat shoplifting, 13 major retailers, such as Sainsbury, Tesco, Co-op, and John Lewis, have each agreed to contribute £60,000 over two years to fund specialist police analysts as part of a collaborative effort codenamed Pegasus. By combining police and industry intelligence, this initiative aims to identify and dismantle shoplifting gangs, which have been known to target a wide range of products, including jewelry and meat that they later sell back to supermarkets.
The debate surrounding the response to the record surge in shoplifting crimes continues to unfold, with ministers, police chiefs, and retailers striving to find common ground. As the discussions progress, it is clear that technology will play an increasingly significant role in tackling this issue. However, finding a balance between the demands for police intervention and the practical limitations faced by law enforcement remains an ongoing challenge.
