Shoplifting offences highest on record in 2023, figures show

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Shoplifting offences recorded by police have risen to the highest level on record as the government sets out new rules to make attacks on retail workers a standalone criminal offence.

According to statistics, more than 430,000 offences were recorded last year – up by more than a third than the previous 12 months to December 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Figures show that this is the highest level on police records, since the data started being collected in 2003, costing British retailers around over £1 billion every year.

Meanwhile, statistics released earlier this year showed that more retail workers than ever are being targeted by violent attacks, as the government plans to make assaults against retail workers become a standalone criminal offence.

Shoplifting offences

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak previously said:

“I am sending a message to those criminals – whether they are serious organised criminal gangs, repeat offenders or opportunistic thieves – who think they can get away with stealing from these local businesses or abusing shopworkers, enough is enough.

“Our local shops are the lifeblood of our communities, and they must be free to trade without the threat of crime or abuse.”

“Since 2010, violent and neighbourhood crime in England and Wales has fallen dramatically, showing our plan to keep our streets safe is working. Yet shoplifting and violence and abuse towards retail workers continue to rise.

But organisations representing retailers say these figures represent a fraction of the true number of incidents.

One retailer from south Wales told the BBC she had lost goods worth tens of thousands of pounds to shoplifting last year and has had to install expensive anti-theft technology to keep her business viable.

Fiona Malone, who has run a convenience store and Post Office in Tenby with her husband Vince for 10 years, said she had placed high-value items behind the counter but found that wine, beer and bread kept disappearing from the shop floor.

“Last year we lost about £26,000 in shoplifting, which is huge for us,” she said. “We are a little family-owned business so the impact on our profits was quite significant.

“People think ‘I’ll just take that, I’ll put it in my pocket, it’s only a fiver, it doesn’t matter’ but it has a huge impact on our business.”

James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores which represents local shops, said the official ONS figures were not surprising but represent a “fraction of the true picture of shop theft”.

“The vast majority of incidents that take place end up not being reported because of the time taken to report the crime and the lack of follow-up from the police,” he said.

“Thieves are stealing regularly 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 shop workers.”

In response to the rise, the government announced plans to ramp up the use of facial recognition technology to help catch perpetrators and prevent shoplifting in the first place. Backed by a £55.5 million investment over the next 4 years, the police will be able to further roll this new state-of-the-art technology.

This includes £4 million for bespoke mobile units that can be deployed to high streets across the country with live facial recognition used in crowded areas to identify people wanted by the police – including repeat shoplifters.

The mobile units will take live footage of crowds in towns and on high streets, comparing images to specific people wanted by the police or banned from that location. Police in the area will then be alerted so they can track down these offenders.

Abused or attacked at work – what can I do?

If you have been abused or violently attacked while working in retail, you may be entitled to claim against the perpetrator. If you have been the victim of a violent crime, in a relevant place, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995 (CICA) may cover the offence.

The CICA is designed to compensate blameless victims of violent crimes including physical and sexual assaults. The CICA has been revised in 2001, 2008 and 2012 and compensates for over 300 different injuries.

Individuals may be eligible for an award if they sustain a criminal injury directly attributable to being a direct victim of a crime of violence committed in a relevant place.

What is a ‘Crime of Violence’?

The CICA defines a ‘Crime of Violence’ as a crime which, by intention or recklessness, involves any of the following:

A physical attack
Any other act (or failure to act) of a violent nature which causes physical injury to a person
A threat against a person causing fear of immediate violence
Sexual assault
Arson

What is a ‘Relevant Place’?

A relevant place means Great Britain. However, some further niche areas fall under the CICA’s definition. This includes a British-controlled aircraft, a British-controlled hovercraft, or a lighthouse off the coast of Great Britain.

Can my conduct or previous convictions affect my eligibility?

The CICA has the power to apply reductions or even outright reject an application if, before, during, or after the incident giving rise to a criminal injury, the applicant’s conduct makes it inappropriate to make an award or full award.

In some circumstances, it may reduce or even withhold a compensation award where an applicant has previous criminal convictions. This is largely dependent on whether a conviction is ‘spent’ or ‘unspent’.

Simply put, each conviction has a period in which it remains relevant in law until it has elapsed. This time differs depending on the severity of the offence.

Some criminal offences, while unspent, will completely restrict the CICA’s ability to grant compensation to an individual. Some examples are as follows:

Time limits

As a general rule, the crime must have taken place within the last two years to put in a criminal injury application to the CICA. There can be exceptions to this rule if, due to exceptional circumstances, the applicant could not have applied earlier.

If an applicant was a child under the age of 18 on the date of the criminal incident, they have until they turn 20 years old to submit a claim.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the police have been known to tell an individual not to put in a claim to the CICA until after a criminal investigation has concluded however this can put you in severe danger of missing the pre-imposed deadlines that have been set.

How does the CICA assess injuries based on the tariff?

The CICA introduced a statutory scheme in 1996 that has undergone multiple amendments over the past two decades. The current Scheme (the 2012 edition), contains an injury tariff that provides for multiple common injuries ranging in severity and value.

Common awards include:

A fractured jaw bone resulting in ongoing problems. This would be valued at £3,500 and could rise to £6,200 if an operation had taken place.
Facial scarring causing serious disfigurement. This could be valued up to £11,000.
Injuries resulting in permanent tinnitus which is very severe can be valued at £16,500.
Loss of teeth could be valued up to £3,500.
A permanent and seriously disabling psychological injury, with a potential value of up to £27,000.

How to make a claim

If you have suffered a violent attack at work, you may be entitled to claim the damages.

The team of experts at Oakwood Solicitors Ltd agrees to work on your CICA criminal injury claim on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis. If your claim is unsuccessful, you will not be expected to pay us a penny.

If you are successful in your claim, we take a percentage of the compensation meaning that the only time we will receive money is if we have brought your claim to a fruitful conclusion.

You will have a dedicated advisor who will see your claim through from start to finish, assisting you in the event of any queries or issues you may have. If it is preferable to you, we can assign you one of our female advisors to carry out your claim.

Your case handler will also continue to provide regular updates until the conclusion of your claim, ensuring the process is as stress-free and effortless as possible.

Retail crime: Shoplifting offences highest on record in 2023, figures show