Shoplifting up by 10 per cent
NORTHUMBRIA POLICE FORCE AREA SIXTH IN NATIONAL FIGURES
Retailers in the North East have raised concerns after a 10% rise in shoplifting tackled by Northumbria Police.
The force reported 14,414 instances of shoplifting in 2017-2018 – a 10% increase from the previous year – according to data from data. police.uk.
The rise was revealed by online marketplace OnBuy. com, which investigated the total number of shoplifting offences that were recorded by 42 police forces across England and Wales in the last financial year.
The rise means that Northumbria Police ranks as sixth out of 42 different police forces across England and Wales for the number of shoplifting offences in the last year.
Inspector Steve Wykes, of Northumbria Police, said: “We recognise the significance of retail crime and its impact on shop owners and employees. Our officers are engaging with retailers through a number of different forums in order to tackle shoplifting.
“We are constantly seeking to improve our process in response to retail crime and are attempting to streamline our overall police response.
“We would always urge anybody who is a victim of retail crime to contact police on 101 or 999 if it is an emergency.”
Comparatively Cleveland Police reported 8,294 incidences of shoplifting in 20172018 – a 20% increase from the previous year, ranking 18 out of the 42 forces.
While Durham Constabulary ranked 31 out of the 42 forces with 4,430 incidents – a 14% rise - meaning that in the region Cleveland had the highest increase of the offence being committed.
And the increase comes as worrying news for retailers, with shoplifting accounting for £500million of the £700million direct cost incurred from retail crime in the UK between April 2016 to March 2017, according to the British Retail Consortium.
Cas Paton, managing director of OnBuy.com, said: “With shoplifting incidents increasing from the previous year, it’s a crime which is financially burdening retailers.
“Whilst shoplifting may seem difficult to prevent, there are certain cost-effective precautions retailers can take to deter shoplifters from targeting them.
“Precautions include training employees to identify the behaviours associated with shoplifters and appropriate signage to warn potential offenders about the seriousness of the matter.”