West Midlands Police sees sharp shoplifting spike

More than 26,000 shoplifting offences have been recorded in the 12 months up to June

Shoplifting is among the offences for which West Midlands Police has seen the biggest spike, according to latest figures that highlight a record number of cases nationally.

In the 12 months up to June, a total of 26,145 shoplifting offences were recorded by the force, compared to 19,184 in the previous 12-month period.

The rate is higher than the 29% rise in recorded shoplifting across England and Wales during the same time frame.

In other categories, the number of recorded sexual offences has risen by 9% in the West Midlands, with the force highlighting a 10% spike in recorded cases of rape.

The force said the increase was down to improvements in victims being able to share their experience.

"There is still more work to do, but we are on the right trajectory," Chief Constable Craig Guildford said.

Overall, the total crime reported across the force's region, excluding fraud, had reduced by 9% in the 12 months up to June compared to the previous 12-month period.

"Lots of hard work has gone into that and it's important that we recognise that," Mr Guildford said.

West Midlands Police covers multiple areas across the region including Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Walsall, Solihull and Dudley.

It was removed from special measures in July.

Amid the national and local picture for shoplifting, Mr Guildford said his force continued to both arrest shoplifters and return products to shop owners.

He assured the "public and shopkeepers" that arrest rates at West Midlands Police for the offence had "dramatically increased" by "nearly double".

Hardware store boss Sarbjit Singh said theft led to increased prices for honest shoppers

Sarbjit Singh, a hardware shop boss, said shopkeepers were being targeted on a daily basis.

“It puts the prices up at the end of the day, it’s no good for the consumer,” he said.

“It’s hard for us to keep watching people, and it’s hard when you approach people. We get a lot of hassle from them.”

Chris Davies said he had seen hair straighteners and bottles of shampoo taken by thieves who had stolen from his hair salon.

“Being on a high street, what we look for is to have our door open so that people can come in and that’s just the very nature of the way we want to trade on a high street," he said.

“Quite often now, we will find ourselves putting the key in the door and actually locking the door.”

This, he said, was an attempt at preventing the issue rather than resolving it.

The Retail Trust said almost half of shop workers feared for their safety, while more than two thirds said they wanted to leave the industry.

Meanwhile, death or serious injury by unlawful driving was the offence with the sharpest increase for the West Midlands force, rising by 48% from 61 to 91 cases.

Homicide has dropped by 7% while robbery is down more than 5%. Domestic abuse reports have fallen by more than 14%.