Shoplifting doubles in last two years
Cost of living crime wave hits our high streets
SHOPLIFTING has more than doubled as the cost of living crisis deepens.
Parents stealing baby food and milk account for a part of the rise as they desperately try to save money. There were 889 cases reported to the Retailers Against Crime group last month, compared with 394 in April 2020.
But they may just be the tip of the iceberg with many more cases going unreported.
The Scottish Grocers’ Federation surveyed 500 shops and said they faced shoplifters every day.
Dr John Lee, head of policy and public affairs, said: “Shoplifting happens every day in every shop.
“It is definitely on the rise and it’s undoubtedly connected to the cost of living crisis. I could see us getting to the stage where milk is tagged.
“I have heard of shops being forced to put security tags and boxes on items.
“It is also becoming more extreme and violent and it seems that people are more ready to resort to violence when they are confronted by shop staff.”
Retailers Against Crime said relatively cheap items are being stolen along with the small, expensive items such as razors.
Group spokeswoman Stephanie Karte said: “The economic climate we are in is fuelling violent crime especially. ”
Retailers Against Crime logged 889 shoplifters last month, compared with 666 in the same time last year and 394 incidents in 2020.
The Protection of Workers Act came into force in Scotland in August. By the end of the year, nearly 300 cases of attacks were reported to police.
Usdaw, the union which represents shop staff, said the overstretched justice system was struggling to deal with shoplifting.
Scotland organiser Patrick Laughland said: “If shoplifting is seen as a low-level crime and police can’t chase it up and there aren’t significant convictions and sentences, then people think they will just do it anyway.”