Exact number of offences by highest ranked shoplifter in the West Midlands revealed
The exact number of offences by the highest ranked shoplifter in the West Midlands between 2023 and 2025 has been revealed.
West Midlands Police have revealed how many shoplifting offences have been committed by individuals each year since 2023 - and one offender really out did themselves.
In an anonymised list, published under the Freedom of Information Act, police shared the top 5 shoplifters with the most offences on their record between 2023 and 2025, noting that it may be different individuals in the list each year.
But even without giving names, the figures gave insight into the number of offences that can be racked up by one person.
In 2025, the highest ranked offender has 92 offences to their name - with 81 (88%) of them resulting in a charge/summons - the highest of any offender over the three-year period. The individual had garnered a list off offences over 80% higher than the highest ranked offenders of 2023 (with 49 offences) and 2024 (with 51 offences).
Only one individual, dubbed 2024’s ‘Offender B’, featured in the lists recieved a charges/summons for 100% of their offences (43).
Offender D (2023) had the lowest number of offences resulting in a charge/summons (5 of 27) with almost 82% resulting in no further action.
See the Top 5 lists in the table below
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “We fully understand the impact and frustration of shop thefts on businesses of all sizes, it's a crime which can affect livelihoods.
“Our teams across investigations, neighbourhood and response work closely together to prevent and tackle crimes which impact on our communities.
“Using local officer knowledge and working with store security, we are able to identify suspects, and any emerging trends or hotspots quicker.
“We routinely carry out regular high visibility patrols in retail areas, along with other activity, to trace and catch offenders.”
The news comes as data given to the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner showed that shoplifting from businesses across the West Midlands has increased in the past two years.
But a report to the committee said, despite this increase in offences, there has been a major improvement in the proportion of shoplifting crimes having a positive outcome for victims.
The report to the committee said this “reflects targeted activity aimed at bringing more offenders to justice”.