Most shoplifters ‘reoffend within a year of conviction’

London: It turns out that six out of ten shoplifters end up reoffending within just a year of being convicted. Crazy, right? Official figures from the Ministry of Justice show that nearly 80,000 shoplifters were caught again within a year from March 2022.

This means that about 60% of nearly 140,000 shoplifters who were caught during that time went on to commit more crimes. It really highlights how repeat offending is a big issue, and it’s got people calling for tougher measures against these habitual criminals.

Shoplifting has hit a record high, with almost 470,000 offences reported to the police in the year leading up to June. That’s a whopping 29% increase from the previous year! It breaks down to over 9,000 offences a week, which is more than two every minute. Just wild!

Sir John Hayes, a former home office minister, mentioned that shoplifting is becoming an epidemic. He pointed out that people are now stealing with less fear of getting caught. They’re even bringing bags and trolleys into stores to make it easier to take stuff.

He believes we need to get tougher on these offenders. He suggested that when they do get convicted, they should face serious sentences. Right now, it seems like the punishment isn’t enough to stop them from doing it again.

There were proposals for mandatory jail time for those with 45 or more convictions, which would have made a real difference. Research shows that many of these repeat offenders aren’t even getting jail time, which is pretty shocking.

Shoplifting is at its highest level since records began in 2003, and retailers are feeling the pinch. They estimate that shoplifting adds at least 6p to every transaction, with losses hitting £1.8 billion a year. Plus, they’re spending another £700 million on security to combat this issue.

Most thefts go unreported, too, since shops usually only report when they catch someone in the act. It’s a tough situation for retailers, and it looks like something needs to change.