Record Surge in Shoplifting Offences Hits England and Wales in 2024

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Shoplifting offences in England and Wales surged to a record high in 2024, with police recording 516,971 incidents—a 20% increase from 429,873 in 2023. This is the highest level since current recording practices began in 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Despite the sharp rise, only about 19% of these cases led to charges or summonses, while 57% were closed without identifying suspects, highlighting significant challenges in policing retail crime. Retailers argue the official figures understate the true scale, with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) estimating over 20 million shoplifting incidents annually. This discrepancy is attributed to underreporting due to retailers’ lack of confidence in police response.

The financial impact on retailers is severe, with shop theft costing over £2.2 billion annually. Despite spending £1.8 billion on anti-crime measures like enhanced security and surveillance, many report that thieves are becoming bolder and more aggressive, leading to increased violence and abuse against retail staff.

In response, Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson announced plans to deploy nearly 3,000 additional neighborhood police officers in 2025. However, critics argue that government efforts remain insufficient to address the growing crisis.

The surge in shoplifting is part of a wider increase in theft-related crimes, with theft from the person offences also rising by 22% to 152,416 incidents in 2024—the highest since records began