? The Metropolitan Police recorded the highest number of shoplifting offences at an?astounding 47,580
? West Midlands Police had the second highest number of shoplifting incidences at?19,741
? City of London Police had the lowest number of shoplifting offences with 729?cases reported
? Britain?s shops suffer a loss of ?800 million per year due to shoplifting
Shoplifting is one of the most common crimes committed by opportunist thieves. It?s a crime?that can be very profitable for offenders but significantly costly for shops. This is signified by
retail security firm Checkpoints Systems finding that Britain?s shops collectively lose ?800m per year due to shoplifting.
Utilising data derived from data.police.co.uk, OnBuy.com investigated the total number of?shoplifting offences that were recorded by 43 police forces/constabularies across England and
Wales in the financial year of 2016-17 (April 2016 ? March 2017). Shoplifting per the police is?defined as the ?theft from shops or stalls?.
The research revealed that the Metropolitan Police had the highest number of shoplifting?offences at an astounding 47,580 ? the equivalent of 130 incidents a day. Metropolitan Police
was closely followed by West Midlands Police, who had 19,741 incidences of shoplifting?reported. In third, was Greater Manchester Police, with 18,002 shoplifting offenses.?City of London Police had the lowest number of shoplifting cases, with only 729 reported ??the equivalent of 2 occurrences every day. Dyfed-Powys Police had more than double the?figure of City of London, with 1,533 shoplifting offenses. Above Dyfed-Powys Police was?Cumbria Constabulary, who had 2,819 incidences of shoplifting.
Cas Paton, managing director of OnBuy.com commented:??The figures are certainly fascinating. Shoplifting is more prevalent than we would like to think.?Considering the amount of time and energy shops put into running various aspects of their?operation daily, shoplifting is really an unfortunate occurrence for them. Whilst it may feel?unavoidable, shops can certainly take various steps to prevent shoplifters from targeting them.?Simple steps such as better staff training to identify potential shoplifters and storing high value?items more securely can go a long way when dealing with the problem of shoplifters?.
OnBuy?s top five tips to effectively prevent and reduce shoplifting:
Training -?Train employees to watch out for behaviours which shoplifters typically display such as paying?more attention to their surroundings than the items, repeatedly picking up then putting down?the same item(s) and ignoring any attempts to help or engage with them.
Awareness -?Have one employee always at the front of the shop greeting customers as they come in. This will?be a clear indication to any potential shoplifter(s) that staff are aware of them and paying?attention to their actions/behaviour.
Audit -?Carefully identify items which are?most likely to be stolen, either?through previous experiences or?because of their high value.?Consequently, take the necessary?precautions to make them a harder?target for shoplifters through storing?them in cabinets with locks or?keeping them behind the counter.
Signage -?Displaying an adequate number of?signs throughout the store clearly?stating, ?shoplifters will be?prosecuted? will demonstrate your?firm stance on the seriousness of the?matter. Additionally, including signs?which say the store is protected by?security cameras (even if they can?t be?visibly seen), will deter shoplifters by?making them aware they are actively?being monitored.
Vantage – Where possible use low-level aisles so?staff can see customers at all times.?Identity blind spots and then use mirrors to provide a vantage point in?these areas. The addition of bright
lighting will also make shoplifters feel?like the spotlight is always on them.
