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Abstract

It has been reported that shoplifting has reached ‘epidemic’ levels. Comparing police record crime data with industry estimates reveals that potentially just 2.4 per cent of thefts are reported to and recorded by the police. This is creating a large intelligence gap that emboldens thieves, enables organised criminal networks to go undetected, and makes it difficult for the police to prioritise retail crime and detect the most prolific and serious offenders. This article outlines some of the political issues with recording high‐volume crime and the resource implications of increased reporting. The article presents the case for the development of a national retail crime intelligence bureau to improve reporting and close the intelligence gap on shoplifting.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2024 The Author(s). The Political Quarterly published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Political Quarterly Publishing Co. Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Publisher Keywords:	shoplifting, theft, acquisitive crime, high-volume crime
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Departments:	School of Policy & Global Affairs School of Policy & Global Affairs > Sociology & Criminology
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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