Nearly 270,000 shoplifting cases went unsolved last year
EMBARGO: 22.30 Friday 21st February 2025
New Home Office figures reveal that in the year ending September 2024, 269,237 shoplifting cases were closed without a suspect being identified in England and Wales - a shocking 19% increase from the previous year.
This accounted for 55% of all shoplifting cases recorded in the year ending September 2024. On average, 738 shoplifting cases went unsolved every single day last year.
Meanwhile, just 88,165 shoplifting cases last year resulted in a charge or summons - accounting for 18% of all cases.
The Met had the worst outcomes, with 75% of shoplifting cases going unsolved - adding up to a whopping total of 59,133 cases. Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire also fared poorly, with both police forces seeing 66% of shoplifting cases go unsolved.
The overall number of shoplifting cases has risen by a whopping 23% compared to the previous year - up from 402,220 cases in the year ending September 2023, to 492,914 cases in the year ending September 2024. This is the highest figure since current police recording practices began for the year ending March 2003.
The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to finally implement proper community policing, where officers are visible, trusted and focused on solving the crimes that impact local communities like shoplifting.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Lisa Smart MP said:
“For too long, shopkeepers have been left vulnerable while criminal gangs are allowed to operate with virtual impunity.
“Our high streets and communities deserve better than this. If the Government wants to deliver safer streets, getting a grip on the unsolved shoplifting epidemic must be a priority.
“The Liberal Democrats are urging the Government to keep their promise by restoring proper community policing - with more bobbies on the beat, focused on stopping and solving crime.”
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
Data on shoplifting outcomes, broken down by police force, is available here. Source: Home Office, Crime outcomes year to September 2024.