Credit: GettyPOLICE give up on 90 per cent of shoplifting cases within weeks in some hotspots, figures suggest.
Shoplifting hotspots where police ditch investigations within a month have been revealed Credit: Getty
They also shut three in four investigations inside a month without a prosecution in 191 neighbourhoods, analysis by The Sun shows.
The figures emerged as Sir promised a crackdown, scrapping the £200 limit on prosecuting shoplifters and making attacking staff a criminal offence.
Last night, our figures were branded “staggering” by former top Met detective .
He said: “Serious, career criminals are shoplifting knowing they will never be caught, because the in many areas have simply given up. The police are not out solving on the streets, and too many officers are being made to act as if they’re a social service.”
Our analysis showed that in Stamford Hill, North London, 128 of 136 theft investigations between March 2025 and February were soon dropped.
In Teesville, in Redcar, North Yorks, this happened in 46 of 49 cases.
It was a similar story in nearby Ingleby Barwick and Grangetown, as well as Hatch Lane and Highams Park in North West London.
The Met Police in London ended an average of 67.8 per cent of shoplifting investigations in the same month they started.
Next worst was Bedfordshire Police, on 64 per cent, and Cambridgeshire Police, with 61 per cent.
At the other end of the scale, Police closed just eight per cent in that time span.
The Met Police’s Chief Inspector Rav Pathania, the force’s lead for tackling retail crime, said: “Shoplifting causes real harm to retail workers and local communities.
“That’s why tackling it remains a top priority for the Met.
“Last year, we solved nearly twice as many shoplifting cases and arrested almost 50 per cent more suspects compared with the previous year.
“CCTV plays a crucial role in investigations.
“At present, only around 20 per cent of shoplifting reports provide CCTV evidence, but where clear footage is provided, officers are able to identify suspects in around 80 per cent of cases.
“The Met is currently trialling new that lets retailers submit CCTV at the point of reporting, giving officers quicker access to evidence and helping identify repeat offenders across London.”
Tactical Retail Crime Lead, Chief Inspector Jamie Bell, from Cleveland Police, said: “In Cleveland, our detections for shoplifting offences are above the national average, with 32 per cent of offences detected.
“We continue to work collaboratively with our retailers, developing innovative ways to deal with shoplifting, such as a current trial where our control room will request CCTV and take an evidential statement at the time of the call to police – this is instead of the store needing to wait for officers to arrive to take the statement.
“These efficiencies allow officers to then go out and directly target those causing the most harm, both to the retail industry and those working within it.
“In cases where we don’t have evidential statements, this can cause difficulties in progressing criminal cases.
“However, we will always bring offenders to justice where it is possible.
“This will soon include direct postal charging where the evidence is overwhelming and the identity of the suspect is known.
“We have dedicated neighbourhood teams in town centres who work closely with retailers, and we have introduced a problem-solving approach which is proving to be successful, looking at the causes and preventative solutions of this type of crime.
“In one example, we have seen a shop with 118 shoplifting offences per month drop to 18 offences per month – this is testament to the dedication of officers and demonstrates that a joint up approach between police and partners is effective.”
And the National Police Chiefs’ Council said: “Over the last two years, since the Retail Crime Action Plan was introduced, policing has made significant strides in its fight against retail crime, strengthening relationships with retailers and greatly improving information sharing.
“Our national Retail Crime Strategy brings together policing, retailers, the security industry and academia to collectively tackle this crime type, including providing training and support for retailers, advising on crime prevention methods such as best use of security and investment in technology, as well as having systems in place which make reporting quicker and easier.”
Shoplifters face a huge crackdown as part of an anti-crime drive by PM Sir Keir Starmer Credit: Getty
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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