The British government is anticipated to announce a new crime bill to target shoplifting rackets in the King’s Speech on Wednesday. This policy would reverse the 2014 legislation that treated “low-value” thefts under £200 with less serious punishment. In addition, there are expectations that the government will add the offence of assaulting a shop worker to its legislative agenda.
The affordable nature of items worth below £200 has made them common targets for shoplifters, leading to increased concern, especially as last year was the worst on record for shoplifting in England and Wales. Retailers have argued that these figures may underestimate the real number of incidents.
Michelle Whitehead, who works at a convenience store in Wolverhampton, has explained that her shop is hit daily by thieves stealing everything from tins of spam to fresh meat. Michelle suspects that “organised” criminal gangs are behind the shoplifting trends. Other retailers have advocated the need for action to reverse the impact of legislation passed in 2014, which has made shoplifting a deprioritised offence in the views of the Police.
Whilst retailers and shopkeepers have welcomed the expected proposals, a civil liberties group has raised concerns about overburdening the prison system by criminalising people struggling to make ends meet. The latest legal measures are expected to be declared as part of King’s Speech on Wednesday, a significant aspect of the State Opening of Parliament which outlines government policies over the coming months. The Labour Party pledged to reverse what it described as the “shoplifter’s charter” prior to the last general election, referring to 2014 legislation that reduced the criminal punishment for “low-value shoplifting”.
Furthermore, shoplifting costs UK retailers £1.8bn annually, which could impact prices in areas such as grocery retail. The BRC commented that “Shoplifting harms everyone in that sense – those costs eventually get made up somewhere, whether it’s prices going up or other prices that can’t come down.” Co-op campaigns and public affairs director Paul Gerrard recorded increasing theft and violence against shop workers, adding that the UK’s rise in theft and violence was due to individuals and gangs targeting large volumes of stock in stores for resale in illicit venues like pubs, clubs, markets, and out the back of cars.
Liberty, a civil liberties organization, commented that the expected change in legislation may worsen the UK’s enormous court backlog and its bursting prison system. Jodie Beck, policy and campaigns officer at Liberty, suggested that the government’s proposal would not solely target criminal gangs but also people who “are pushed into the desperate situation of not paying for things” due to poverty and inequality. Beck urged the government to carefully consider the root causes of poverty and inequality. As of writing, the government has not commented on the King’s Speech until it has been officially delivered by the monarch
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