Now police force says it won’t bother with any shoplifters

A POLICE force says it may no longer investigate shoplifting as it finds ways to save money.

But business owners fear the proposal by Nottinghamshire Police could make it open season for thieves in the run-up to Christmas.

Ahead of a nationwide funding settlement this month, police chiefs across the country have warned they may not be able to respond to some offences and that frontline numbers are dwindling to record low levels.

Last month Bedfordshire’s police and crime commissioner said her force would no longer investigate shoplifting cases where less than £100 was stolen.

Kathryn Holloway also said the force may stop responding to reports of car crime and take five years to probe child sex cases unless it received an extra £10million.

And Scotland Yard has suggested it is ‘not practical’ for officers to spend considerable amounts of time looking at crimes such as criminal damage as it faces £400million of cuts by 2020.

Now Paddy Tipping, Nottinghamshire’s police and crime commissioner, has said he expects the force to receive less than the £190million it got this year and action would be needed to claw back £16million over the next two years.

He said plans could include withdrawing police from investigating crimes such as shoplifting, of which there were 8,786 offences in Nottingham in the 12 months to June.

Mr Tipping, a former Labour MP, said: ‘We will do our best with the resources we have got. Is shoplifting as important as investigating a serious sexual assault? It is not.

‘There are jobs we do at the moment that will have to take a lower priority. If people report shoplifting will the police come? Probably not. We don’t go out to attempted vehicle break- ins unless the person is vulnerable.

‘People are upset about that but it is a reality. As things toughen up there will be jobs that happen where the police will not attend. I think it is clear – if we don’t come, we don’t investigate it.’

Nottinghamshire Chief Constable Craig Guildford said officers would investigate shoplifting when there were lines of inquiry to follow, but the offences would fall behind crimes of greater impact to vulnerable people. He added: ‘If we don’t get that settlement from Government we will be looking for an increase in council tax. I am committed to investing further in officer numbers.

‘We will always take reports seriously and if a shoplifter is detained (in a store) we will be going to make that arrest.’

But shopowners said the proposal could lead to an increase in shoplifting, which in some cases could cripple independent stores. John Barlow, 45, a newsagent from Bulwell, Nottingham, said: ‘The police are basically telling thieves, “Help yourselves”.

‘I’ve been robbed twice in five years and on both occasions the police came. The culprits weren’t caught but at least my wife and I felt that the crime mattered and was being investigated. Of course there are more serious crimes police need to solve but you can’t just give thieves a licence to steal.’

Andy Watterson, of the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, said: ‘We understand that the police aren’t immune to funding cuts but it’s concerning to hear Mr Tipping say that the police might simply stop attending or investigating shoplifting offences.

‘A significant number of shops are small, owner-managed businesses where theft from the shelves is actually theft straight from the owner’s pocket. These retailers cannot simply absorb the cost of theft the way the large chains might.’ The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners wants an extra £440million in funding for next year and £845million in 2019/20.

But Home Secretary Amber Rudd has urged police chiefs to ‘stop writing press releases’ moaning about their budgets and instead focus on cutting crime.

Police forces have also been accused of wasting time and resources on bizarre stunts such as painting their nails, and wearing Halloween masks.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: ‘This Government has protected overall police spending in real terms since the 2015 Spending Review.

‘ Nottinghamshire Police has received £190.5million in total direct resource funding this year, which is £1.6million more than 2015-16. In March 2017, Nottinghamshire Police had reserves of £18.9million.’