Shoplifting offences across areas such as the West Midlands have jumped 30 per cent over the past year, according to new data.
Figures presented to the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner’s Accountability and Governance Board showed there were 31,620 recorded shoplifting offences in the 12 months to March, up from 24,295 the previous year.
The rise contributed to an overall increase in business crime across the region, with 55,271 offences recorded in the year to March, a 2.6 per cent uplift.
The report said the continued rise in shoplifting nationally and regionally was a key factor behind the increase.
However, West Midlands Police said the proportion of shoplifting crimes resulting in a positive outcome for victims had improved.
There were 9,511 positive outcomes recorded in the year to March, representing a rate of 30 per cent. This was up 15.6 per cent on the previous year.
The report said the improvement reflected “targeted activity aimed at bringing more offenders to justice”.
At the meeting, police bosses said business owners were showing greater confidence in reporting offences, following increased focus from the force on retail-related crime.
Temporary assistant chief constable Andy Parsons said: “I think it’s fair to say for a significant number of years the approach to shop-related crime was not on a similar par to other areas of crime investigated by West Midlands Police.
“We’ve taken significant steps to address that. That now features in terms of the number of arrests we’re making for shop-related crime.
“We’ve definitely got more of a focus from a force perspective. We know there was a huge amount of under-reporting when it came to shop-related crime previously.”
Parsons said rising confidence in the police response was likely to drive a further increase in reported shoplifting offences.
He added that working closely with retailers was key, as a large proportion of reported shop-related crime was committed by a small number of repeat offenders.
“The individuals that commit that crime are often doing so, not for financial gain, but to fund an addiction of either drink or drugs,” he said.
“We’re in the process of where we are rolling out the offender-to-recovery programme across all seven local policing areas.
“That programme is targeted on tackling the cause of the offending rather than punishing the offender.”
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