The Petrol Retailers Association is demanding tougher police action to combat store theft after a report that shoplifting offences in England and Wales rose 37% in 2023 to the highest figure since records began 21 years ago.
It comes as voters next week elect in many parts of the country Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), whose role it is to ensure police in their area are meeting the needs of the community.
Figures from the Office of National Statistics’ Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), released Thursday, indicate that shoplifting offences in 2023 soared to more than 430,000, compared with just over 315,000 in 2022.
“The surge in shoplifting incidents reaching the highest levels in two decades is deeply concerning for all forecourt operators,” said Gordon Balmer, executive director of the PRA. “This, coupled with a further increase in fuel theft, presents a very real financial challenge.”
The CSEW figures reflect anecdotal and other evidence from the forecourt sector and independent retailers that store theft – often involving threats of violence – is on the rise. The latest Local Shops Survey from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) showed that thefts from convenience outlets have been growing every quarter since mid-2021.
Balmer added: “Our members are proactively investing in their shops, providing local communities with goods and services to keep them both fed and fuelled. However, with the increase in retail crime they are having to take steps to minimise their losses. These include enhanced in store security, body cams, and facial recognition software, all aimed at protecting retail premises and staff from criminal activities. However, the onus should not be on taxpaying businesses to defend themselves from theft. The police need to focus on catching these criminals and show strong support for local retailers.”
The ACS asserts that official figures do not represent the true picture of the problem, because the vast majority of incidents are not reported. “Thieves are stealing on a regular basis without fear of apprehension, so it’s essential that every police force in the country takes theft seriously, not least because challenging thieves is one of the biggest triggers for abuse of shopworkers,” said chief executive James Lowman.
ACS is also calling on all PCCs to outline how their local forces are responding to theft, and to make tackling shop theft a priority in their police and crime plans.
Instead of being based on crimes reported to police or prosecutions, the CSEW is an interviewer-administered face-to-face victimisation survey, and so is usually regarded as being a more accurate reflection of crime trends.
