Six out of 10 convicted shoplifters go on to become repeat offenders, new figures reveal. The disclosure has fuelled calls for persistent pilferers to be locked up to protect retail staff.
Of the 66,876 people convicted of shoplifting between 2018 and 2022, 39,631 were found guilty again of the same crime.
Former security minister Sir John Hayes said: “The key thing is we need to embolden shops to take action.”
Warning that organised crime groups are targeting retailers, he said: “It is not petty, it is not minor and it is weakening high streets that are already beleaguered by online trading and all kinds of other menaces. This requires prompt and decisive action.”
He said staff seem “fearful” of trying to detain shoplifters and he wants to stop a “culture of tolerance” towards the criminals taking root in large shops.
Sir John says persistent shoplifters should be “incarcerated” to punish them and ensure the “shopkeepers that they plague are protected from them”.
He says major retailers must take the lead in stamping down on shoplifting and is pressing for more people to be prosecuted. He said: “If you’re a local shop, a family-owned business, you suffer if they think they can get away with shoplifting with impunity.”
Graham Wynn, of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Stealing – however small – is not a victimless crime.
“The £1.8billion a year lost to shop theft would be better spent investing in lower prices and better service for customers.
“Meanwhile, retailers are forced to spend a further £1.2billion a year on anti-crime measures such as CCTV, security personnel, and anti-theft devices. More police action is needed as without an effective deterrent, criminals will continue to steal with impunity.”
Home Office minister Edward Argar said the police “must take a zero-tolerance approach to shoplifting”. He added: “Violence against a retail worker is unacceptable, which is why we have made it an aggravating offence to ensure tougher sentences for perpetrators.”
Insisting the Government is “committed to reducing reoffending”, he added: “We are investing in rehabilitation to stop prison-leavers falling back into crime, including tackling drug addiction, increasing the number of offenders in work and providing basic, short-term accommodation on release.
“On top of this, we are doubling the number of GPS tags available to courts for sentencing, ensuring more burglars and robbers are tagged which ultimately keeps our communities safer.”
