Police forces across England and Wales are set to take part in a new £2.5m pilot scheme targeting some of the country’s most prolific retail offenders, as part of a wider crackdown on shoplifting and organised retail crime.
The initiative, announced by the Home Secretary today, during Safer Business Action Week, will see up to 16 police forces work with local partners to tackle repeat offending and address the underlying causes of retail crime.
Under the Prolific Retail Offender Pilot, each participating force will identify around 30 of its most prolific offenders and introduce more intensive measures aimed at preventing further offences.
The Home Office has proposed £2.5m in funding for the programme, with activity expected to begin in phases in early 2027 ahead of a full 12-month rollout from spring.
The scheme follows figures showing that just nine per cent of offenders are responsible for more than half of all retail crime convictions.
It comes as police-recorded shop theft fell four per cent in the year ending March 2026, following increased collaboration between police, retailers and the security industry.
National Police Chiefs’ Council retail crime lead ACC Alex Goss welcomed the announcement, highlighting the importance of tackling repeat offenders who continue to cause significant harm to businesses and retail workers.
“We welcome the Home Secretary’s announcement today, which provides policing and partners with additional support to tackle some of the most prolific retail crime offenders who continue to cause harm to businesses, retail workers and local communities,” he said.
“The programme aims to develop and test a more intensive, multi-agency approach to a small cohort of prolific offenders to reduce repeat offending, improve outcomes for retailers and communities, and provide an evidence base for future national policy.”
The pilot will involve forces including the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester Police, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police and West Yorkshire Police.
Meanwhile, policing’s national intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime, Opal, has reported further progress in its efforts to disrupt organised retail crime gangs operating across police force boundaries.
Since launching its dedicated organised retail crime capability in May 2024, the unit has supported 103 criminal investigations, resulting in 287 arrests and 221 court outcomes, including custodial sentences totalling more than 129 years.
The unit has also identified 750 offenders linked to more than 10,000 offences, responsible for an estimated £9.7m in losses to retailers.
In the six months to November, Opal received 69 referrals from police forces and retailers, leading to 19 operations being adopted and 30 arrests.
Police said offending among organised crime groups identified and monitored by Opal had fallen by 73%, highlighting the impact of coordinated intelligence-led operations.
Opal head Chief Superintendent Owain Llewellyn said the unit played a crucial role in identifying offenders targeting multiple retailers and operating across county borders.
“The work of Opal is crucial in providing support to police forces and coordinating working with retailers to tackle those offenders who are operating across county borders and causing the most harm,” he said.
The new pilot builds on the Retail Crime Action Plan introduced three years ago, which has sought to improve information sharing, strengthen relationships between police and retailers, and increase enforcement against shoplifting and violence towards retail workers.
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