ACS has welcomed the findings of a new inquiry from the House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee which recommends a range of measures to deal with the epidemic of shop theft facing retailers.
The Lords Committee has been considering the impact of shop theft on the retail sector since the end of the last parliament, hearing from different stakeholders involved in retail, academia and crime prevention on ways to improve reporting, reduce reoffending, and improve retailers’ confidence in the police.
ACS gave evidence to the Lords Committee in September of this year, sharing the experiences of members with reporting shop theft, the challenges of reporting crime, and the perceived lack of action from the police when thefts are reported to get repeat offenders off the streets.
The report recognises the role of organised crime groups that are targeting the retail sector on a regular basis, stealing products to sell on, and the importance of the Pegasus initiative in identifying prolific offenders. In the report, the Committee outlines concern about the long-term viability of Pegasus without a renewed commitment from the Home Office. The report also welcomes measures set out by the Government on the introduction of a separate offence for attacking a retail worker, and the removal of the £200 threshold for theft as a summary only offence.
There are 15 recommendations set out in the report from the Lords Committee, including:
- Phasing out the use of the word ‘shoplifting’ which trivialises a serious, often organised crime that has a devastating effect on the retail sector
- Prioritising community-based interventions aimed at reducing reoffending and rehabilitation
- The development of improved reporting systems to expedite the process of reporting crimes
- Continuing the Home Office’s funding for Pegasus for at least a second year
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “We strongly welcome the recommendations of the Committee which are sensible measures aimed at prioritising shop theft response both locally and nationally, as well as improving reporting rates. We know that millions of incidents of theft go unreported every year because retailers feel as though nothing will be done, which is a trend that we need to reverse or risk effectively decriminalising theft. Theft is a damaging crime, committed by organised groups that are stealing to order and take advantage of people struggling with the cost of living.
“We are looking forward to continuing working with the Home Office and Police and Crime Commissioners across the country to put in place the recommendations of the report and close the gap between reported crime and the reality of the situation in local shops.”
In the Budget last week, the Chancellor announced that it was taking action to deal with the sharp rise in shop theft, providing additional funding to tackle the organised gang that target retailers.
The full Lords Committee report is available here
