Shoplifting offenses recorded by police forces in England and Wales have hit a record high of 1,000 a day, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This marks a 25% increase, with a total of 364,164 offences recorded in the year to June 2023, The Telegraph reported.
Despite this, the detection rate for shoplifters has dropped as only 18.2% of offences are being solved and the amount of offenders charges has fallen to 14%.
Supermarket bosses have been urging the governement and police forces to tackle the crime “epidemic” in recent months.
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Last week, Tesco UK CEO Jason Tarry backed a petition lodged by a Tesco worker calling on the government to make violence or abuse against retail workers a standalone criminal offence.
The petition reached over 10,000 signatures in four days, meaning the government will respond to it.
The government and police chiefs are set to unveil plans next week to tackle the recent surge in retail crime.
Policing minister Chris Philp has also called on the police to check every shoplifter against all official databases such as police national security computers and immigration records.
He has also urged the wider public and shop staff to use “the power of citizen’s arrest” where it’s safe to do so in a case of store theft.
However, Tesco Group CEO Ken Murphy told colleagues and shoppers not to follow the advice, having said: “We are really clear with our colleagues and with customers that we would absolutely not want them to put themselves in harm’s way.”
Instead, the leading retailer has introduced new protective screens at hundreds of its Express stores and petrol station kiosks and offered body worn cameras to store workers – a move also carried out by Morrisons and Aldi.
