250,000 shoplifting offences go unsolved up 47% on previous year

EMBARGO: 22.30 26th April 2024

• 680 shoplifting cases going unsolved a day

• Some forces see seven in ten shoplifting cases going unsolved 

• Only one in six shoplifting cases lead to a suspect being charged 

Nearly 250,000 shoplifting cases went unsolved across England and Wales - a shocking 47% increase from the previous year, analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

In 2023, a grand total of 248,314 shoplifting offences were closed without a suspect being identified, accounting for almost six in ten (58%) of all overall cases. This means on average, 680 shoplifting cases went unsolved every day. 

The number of unsolved shoplifting cases has increased by a massive 47% since 2022, when 168,780 shoplifting cases went unsolved. 

Surrey was the worst performing police force in 2023, as 69% of shoplifting cases went unsolved - amounting to a staggering total of 3,144 cases. They were followed closely behind by Sussex, which saw 68% of cases were unsolved. 

Meanwhile, a mere 68,109 shoplifting cases across England and Wales resulted in a suspect being charged or summonsed in 2023 - accounting for around one in six (16%) overall cases. 

The Liberal Democrats have slammed the Conservative Government for these figures, arguing that their ineffective resourcing has decimated frontline policing, leading to far more criminals getting away with it. This includes taking over 4,500 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) off the streets since 2015. 

The party is calling for a return to proper community policing, where officers are visible and trusted, with the time and resources to focus on tackling local crimes.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: 

“The Conservative Government has lost all control when it comes to shoplifting. Shopkeepers are being left vulnerable while criminal gangs are allowed to act with impunity.

“We already know what works to stop crime - putting police back on the beat and ensuring that crimes like shoplifting are properly investigated. Yet as unsolved shoplifting cases soar, Conservative ministers can’t even get those basics right.

“Our high streets deserve much better than this. They deserve an immediate return to proper community policing.” 

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Data on shoplifting outcomes, broken down by police force, is available here. Source: Home Office, Police recorded crime outcomes open data tables. 

Data on PCSO workforces is available at: Home Office, ‘Police workforce, England and Wales, 30 September 2023: data tables’, Table 3.