Shoplifting has soared in the past year as people battle austerity cuts. There were more than 21,000 extra thefts from stores across England and Wales, a rise of near 7% per cent, figures reveal. In the year up to last June there 321,014 shoplifting crimes. The worst hit area was London with 37,680 thefts. The all-party Parliamentary group on food poverty and hunger revealed it had heard evidence from police officers about the rise of ‘survival crime’.
PC Helen Priestley, of Devon and Cornwall Police, told the inquiry: “We are concerned that although there has been a reduction in almost every type of crime shoplifting has seen a 16 per cent rise across the county.”
Nicky Gjorven, a duty sergeant at Northumbria Police, warned: “It’s now your essentials rather than your alcohol and sweets that were stolen in the past.”
The Citizens Advice Bureau spokeswoman Julia Hannaford said: “One of the reasons for shoplifting is levels of usemployment, benefits being cut and coping with the cost of living. It suggests criminality is poverty-related.”
Blackpool foodbank boss Chris Phillips said essentials like food and clothes were stolen. “We are not saying it is right,” he added. “But sometimes people do not have a choice. They have to feed their families.”
PC Helen Priestley, of Devon and Cornwall Police, told the inquiry: “We are concerned that although there has been a reduction in almost every type of crime shoplifting has seen a 16 per cent rise across the county.”
Nicky Gjorven, a duty sergeant at Northumbria Police, warned: “It’s now your essentials rather than your alcohol and sweets that were stolen in the past.”
The Citizens Advice Bureau spokeswoman Julia Hannaford said: “One of the reasons for shoplifting is levels of usemployment, benefits being cut and coping with the cost of living. It suggests criminality is poverty-related.”
Blackpool foodbank boss Chris Phillips said essentials like food and clothes were stolen. “We are not saying it is right,” he added. “But sometimes people do not have a choice. They have to feed their families.”
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