More than 1,200 suspected shoplifters were arrested by West Midlands Police in the first four months of 2025
New figures show that more than 1,200 suspected shoplifters were arrested by West Midlands Police officers in the first four months of the year, said force chiefs.
The force said arrests for shop theft offences have risen more than 60 per cent in the last two years as after improvements in the way it responds to crime reports.
Officers made 1,272 arrests in the first four months, a significant increase on the same period in 2023, and cases where offenders are charged, cautioned or given out of court resolutions have also surged by over 235 per cent in the same period. During the first quarter of 2025 the force detected more of these offences than any other force in the country.
Efforts to tackle knife robberies, some of which have taken place at retail premises has also seen a 25 per cent reduction in the latest reporting period.
The force said it had also transformed its policing model and call-handling systems since April 2023 which has helped to reduce levels of overall crime year on year as victims are now able to reach officers much quicker and local investigative capacity has grown.
In the past year call handling performance has improved with emergency 999 calls are now answered in an average of just two seconds - with the force having the fastest response time in the country last month. Non-emergency 101 calls are also being answered significantly quicker, with an average wait time of just 20 seconds, while abandonment rates have dropped below 1 per cent compared to nearly 40 per cent two years ago.
Chief Constable Craig Guildford said: "We take shop theft and retail crime seriously, and the improvements we’ve made to how we respond are making a real difference. With faster call handling, more officers investigating local crime, dedicated prevention work with our key recidivists, and stronger outcomes for victims, we’re now starting to see real impact.
"We want to thank businesses and the public for working with us and we encourage them to keep reporting incidents so we can continue to take action. We know there is more to do and we are committed to tackling this crime and helping to keep shop workers safe.
"If an offence occurs, it should always be reported — and if the suspect is still present or has just left the store, people should dial 999 immediately."
