'Pandemic of crime': Smethwick store owner speaks out after 30% increase in shoplifting
Watch CCTV footage of shoplifting captured at a West Midlands supermarket.
The rate of shoplifting has hit its highest level for two decades nationally, with thefts from shops and stalls increasing by 28% in 2023.
But in the West Midlands, there has been a 30% increase between April and June this year- a total of 7,443 offences.
In May 2024 alone, West Midlands Police recorded 2,532 offences.
Shop owners across the region say they have never seen shoplifting offences so high.
Among them is Surinder Josan, who runs a family-owned DIY shop in Smethwick.
"There's no way out"
He says "After decades of being able to operate without CCTV we're finally having to look at putting some system in.
"So I've got two cameras for the front of the shop, two or three within the shop in different corners and then some throughout the back as well.
"There's no way out we just have to build it up, every time we lose something to replace that loss of sale we probably have to sell six or seven, at least a dozen of those to cover that loss."
Andrew Goodacre from the British Independent Retailers Association, which aims to support independent retail shops, says that the scale of shoplifting is like a "pandemic".
"It's been almost a pandemic of crime, the number of types of shop affected has widened, the number of incidents has increased. The amount of stock taken at any one time seems to have increased as well."
Last week the government promised to introduce stronger measures to tackle shoplifting, and though this will be welcomed by shop owners, many in the Midlands say that things must change now.
In a statement, West Midlands Police Superintendent Lisa Jayne-Robson said:
"Shoplifting is a blight on our retail outlets, particularly those stores regularly targeted by repeat offenders, and we fully understand the impact and frustration on businesses, it’s a crime which can affect livelihoods.
"Our local teams - across investigations, neighbourhood and response - work 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."
She continued: "We work alongside numerous Business Watch schemes across the West Midlands, these are made up of representatives from local companies who come together to talk about how they can support each other to boost their trade and benefit the community and, where appropriate, work with local police and other agencies like the council and local Business Improvement District."
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