Shoplifter rehab 'saving West Midlands retailers thousands'

The police and crime commissioner estimates the initiative has saved retailers £800k

A scheme to treat offenders with addiction issues in a bid to limit shop-lifting has been hailed a success.

The West Midlands police and crime commissioner estimated the scheme had saved retailers in the region of £800k.

Simon Foster, Labour, said offenders who were caught stealing were treated in a rehab facility to break the cycle of crime.

The scheme is operating in Birmingham with hopes to extend it elsewhere in the region.

Mr Foster said imprisoning shoplifters who stole to feed their addition was time consuming, expensive and "rarely solves the underlying causes of crime", meaning they would likely return to offending, he added, on release.

With treatment, Mr Foster said addicts were "highly likely to stop stealing".

He said on average, someone addicted to heroin and crack cocaine spent an estimated £19,000 a year on drugs, often funded by stealing from stores.

Stuart Toogood from West Midlands Police said: "The scheme is cutting crime and saving hundreds of thousands of pounds every year.

"While we have focussed on Birmingham so far, I would like to see it rolled out across the entire region and potentially across the country."

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