Shoplifting offences in Bedfordshire rise by a third
Shoplifting offences have risen by a third in Bedfordshire, new figures show.
New figures from the Home Office show Bedfordshire Police recorded 5,275 shoplifting offences in the year to September – a 35 per cent increase from the 3,896 logged a year earlier.
A total of 493,000 offences were logged by forces across England and Wales in the year to September, up 23 per cent from 402,000 in the previous 12 months.
The British Retail Consortium has warned shoplifting is “spiralling out of control”. A survey by the group suggests there were more than 2,000 incidents a day, with staff facing assault, being threatened with weapons, and racial and sexual abuse.
In Bedfordshire, 15 per cent of shoplifting offences led to a charge or summons over this period, with no suspect identified in 66 per cent of cases.
A further 13 per cent were closed due to evidential difficulties, and 2 per cent have not yet been given an outcome.
Community Policing Chief Inspector Jim Goldsmith said: "Our solved rate for shoplifting crimes increased by 105.4 per cent between 1 Oct 2023 and 31 Sep 2024 when compared to the same period the previous year (943 compared to 459).
"Our Community teams are committed supporting business owners and residents in their local neighbourhoods, with a priority focus on shoplifting and on related offences of handling stolen goods, which can help enable this type of offending.”
He added: "Our community policing teams regularly engage with many businesses across the county to help target-harden against these types of crimes and to help identify and apprehend prolific offenders.
"In addition to prison sentences, we have other tools at our disposal, for example Criminal Behaviour Orders that impose strict conditions on perpetrators to reduce their ability to re-offend. We also work closely with partners to increase council and police presence in town centres, and would continue to encourage reporting from shopkeepers."
Across England and Wales, police recorded 1.8 million theft offences in the year to September.
The country saw a 22 per cent rise in crimes involving theft from a person (146,000), including 538 such crimes in Bedfordshire.