Shop theft arrests increased, police force says

West Midlands Police said it made 1,272 shop theft offences arrests in the first four months of 2024.

A police force has said arrests for suspected shop thieves have risen more than 60% in the last two years.

West Midlands Police said it made 1,272 shop theft offence arrests in the first four months of 2024.

It added that cases where offenders were charged, cautioned or given out of court resolutions had increased by more than 235% in the same period.

The force believes it is down to changes to its policing model and call handling systems that were made in April 2023.

It said emergency 999 calls were answered in an average of two seconds, while 101 calls had an average wait time of 20 seconds.

"We take shop theft and retail crime seriously, and the improvements we've made to how we respond are making a real difference," said Ch Cons Craig Guildford.

"With faster call handling, more officers investigating local crime, dedicated prevention work with our key recidivists and stronger outcomes for victims, we're now starting to see real impact.

"We know there is more to do and we are committed to tackling this crime and helping to keep shop workers safe."

Last November, traders in Erdington said shoplifting and drug dealing were destroying businesses and police were failing to deal with offenders who were openly dealing and stealing products.

In response, the force gave the area a dedicated police team in April 2025.

In early August, a Coventry market trader said he was so far unimpressed with West Midlands Police initiative to reduce crime - including shop theft - with an increased police presence.

He said that shoplifting was a "horrific problem" in the city centre, with culprits "literally doing whatever they want to do".

West Midlands Police said it was working "incredibly closely" with the local authority, the businesses community and others to tackle the problems.