'More offenders brought to justice' says West Midlands Police commissioner as shoplifting epidemic worsens
Police chiefs say tackling theft from high street businesses in the West Midlands is a 'top priority' after new figures revealed a shocking rise in shoplifting.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics Crime Survey for England and Wales earlier this week showed more than 50,000 shoplifting offences took place in the West Midlands for the year up to March 2025.
The numbers were released around a week after West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster visited Wolverhampton for the launch of a campaign on town-centre crime.
The Home Office and Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC)-backed initiative will see more police officers assigned to town centre beats in an effort to tackle issues such as theft from businesses, drugs, and anti-social behaviour.
Locations in Wolverhampton, Smethwick, Dudley, Walsall and Sandwell are included in the initiative, and West Midlands Police said £3.7 million has been allocated in hotspot policing funding this financial year.
Speaking to the Express & Star this week West Midlands PCC Simon Foster said more shoplifting offenders were being charged - and that tackling theft from businesses in the region's town centres remained a "top priority".
"Shop theft has remained a significant challenge, for our high streets, town and city centres across the country," he said.
"I am investing in rebuilding neighbourhood policing, supporting the National Retail Crime Action Plan, implementing the Safer Streets Summer Initiative, ensuring increased high street, town and city hot spot patrols, implementing targeted police operations, working with retailers and investing in prevention and rehabilitation.
"As a consequence, more offenders are being brought to justice. The positive outcome rate for shop theft has risen from 14.9 per cent to 22.8 per cent and the charge rate has also increased from 13.2 per cent to 19.9 per cent. I am committed to preventing and tackling shop theft."
The number of reported shoplifting incidents rose 24 per cent across the region, with a total of 53,264 shoplifting offences recorded in the West Midlands geographical area, up from 43,083 the year before.
Of those, 32,707 took place in the West Midlands Police force area, covering Wolverhampton, Coventry, the Black Country and Birmingham. A further 7,692 offences were recorded in Staffordshire.
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of the British Independent Retail Association, said the figures reflected the "sad daily reality" faced by Britain's shopkeepers.
"These statistics support what independent retailers have been telling us - that retail crime continues to be a significant challenge affecting businesses and communities alike," he said.
"Independent retailers are investing millions of pounds in security measures to deter criminals, but we need to see meaningful action taken against perpetrators when they are caught.
"A fast-track court process would send a clear message that retail crime will not be tolerated. All too often, criminals are left waiting extended periods before appearing in court, free to continue targeting the very streets they are stealing from."
