To address the “sharp rise in shoplifting”, the Labour government has announced the decision to scrap the immunity for low-value shoplifting and provide additional funding to “crack down on organised gangs targetting retailers”.
The low-value shoplifting policy (Section 176 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014), introduced by the previous government, aimed to decriminalise certain minor thefts. Under this legislation, shoplifters stealing items below a threshold of £200, faced little to no repercussions.
These decisions were announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves as she delivered Labour’s first budget since 2010.
Reeves said that after closely listening to organisations such as the British Retail Consortium and Usdaw, she is “providing additional funding” to combat organised gangs targeting retailers.
The funding will also be allocated to provide additional training for police officers and retailers to “stop shoplifting in its tracks”.
James Lowman cheif executive of the Association of Convenience Stores commented: “The Chancellor’s commitment to tackling shop theft will be warmly welcomed by our members, but they are interested only in action and in crime against their stores and their colleagues being tackled effectively. We stand ready to help implement a new, and better-funded strategy to stop shop theft, abuse and violence against our members.”
Responding to the Budget announcements, Helen Dickinson chief executive of the British Retail Consortium welcomed the Chancellor’s firm stance on shoplifting: “This is on top of the scrapping of the low-level shoplifting threshold, which has resulted in many police forces ignoring smaller crimes. Working closely with the police and Government, retailers are determined to tackle retail crime – from shoplifting, to violence against retail workers.”
For more on the Budget, click here.
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