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Shop theft is an underreported crime that is not being effectively tackled, causing a devastating impact on the retail sector and the wider economy, a House of Lords committee has concluded following an inquiry.
In a letter to the Minister for Policing, Crime and Fire Prevention, Dame Diana Johnson MP, the Justice and Home Affairs Committee said the almost 17 million incidents of shop theft annually cost the retail sector almost £2bn in 2023.
The letter also outlined how shop theft has ‘evolved from individualised offending to relentless, large-scale, organised operations accompanied by unprecedented levels of violence’.
Among the committee’s recommendations are that the term “shoplifting” be phased out as it no longer embodies the seriousness or significant impact of the crime. The committee instead recommends the use of the term “shop theft”.
The committee is also calling for improved reporting mechanisms to expediate the process by which retailers can report crime to the police. The government should also make it harder to sell stolen goods via online marketplaces by introducing more stringent verification processes for repeat sellers of high-volume items.
Home Office funding for Pegasus—a business and policing partnership to improve the way retailers are able to share intelligence with policing—should also continue for at least a second year, according to the committee.
‘A drop in the ocean’
“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.”
Lord Foster of Bath, Chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee
The National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) welcomed the committee’s report and recommendations, with Supt Patrick Holdaway, NBCC lead, saying: “The NBCC has for a long time used shop theft in its comms recognising that the term shoplifting risks trivialising the impact of shop theft, which often involves violence, abuse and intimidation.
“We have also argued that improved recording of shop theft offences will provide police and partners with a better understanding of the scale of the problem and where their focus needs to be.
“The NBCC has worked with forces and retailers to encourage the use of Digital Evidence Management Systems (DEMS) to share evidence with police and help investigations to progress at speed. We also worked with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and police forces to develop a standard witness statement which retailers can use when submitting CCTV evidence to the police using a Digital Evidence Management Systems (DEMS). Any improvements in intelligence sharing, recording, reporting and evidence capture will undoubtedly support police and partners in tackling shop theft more effectively.”
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