Thousands of shoplifting crimes going unpunished

Durham Constabulary runs the ShopWatch scheme

Thousands of shoplifting offences have gone unpunished by a police force.

Figures show 7,142 offences occurred across County Durham and Darlington over the past year, with just 1,657 resulting in a charge or summons, according to data obtained by Personal Injury Claims UK.

Offences reached a high during 2023/24 as shoplifting increased by nearly 50% on the previous year.

Durham Constabulary said it is working "closely" with businesses through its ShopWatch scheme, but added it "cannot combat it alone".

The ShopWatch scheme provides businesses with radios and phones so they can quickly share information about suspicious activity with the police.

'Prevention and rehabilitation'

Staff at MaxiDeals in Darlington told the Local Democracy Reporting Service shoplifting in the town is "horrendous" and it "jeopardises people's jobs and shops shut down because of it".

They added the ShopWatch scheme helps them catch shoplifters more often.

A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said it is important for the force to "look at the bigger picture" by seeking to "address the underlying reasons for offending".

The force said it works with offenders after they have been released from prison in an attempt "to help break their cycle of crime by offering help and support with addiction and mental health".

"Prevention and rehabilitation play a key factor in helping reduce these types of offences, but we simply cannot combat it alone."