Shoplifting reports spike as police 'build trust'

Police have expressed the hope that a 10-year high in shoplifting reports in Warwickshire is a sign that people are more confident in reporting incidents.

Figures gathered by the BBC Data Unit suggest the county had the fourth biggest rise in shoplifting offences in the last year of any force in England.

In the year to April 2026 there were 3,869 shoplifting offences recorded, a rise of close to 10% on the previous year.

Inspector Ryan Walker from Warwickshire Police said: "I welcome those figures, it could be seen as a negative, but we are also here to build trust and confidence with the public, so it could be that more people are reporting those crimes."

Walker leads the Business Crime Team which was set up 18 months ago.

"From then we have seen a lot of improvements, we've built a lot of relationships within the community."

However, as well as the higher number of shoplifting offences recorded in Warwickshire, the proportion of suspects being caught is falling.

In 2015, 41% of shoplifting cases in Warwickshire saw no suspect identified, but a decade later the same figure was 60%.

That's the fifth worst figure in the country and means for the majority of shoplifting cases reported to Warwickshire Police, the case is closed without ever knowing who stole the goods.

Walker believes the use of undercover teams will see that figure improve.

"We have a very proactive team. You won't see those officers because they are working in plain clothes. They work across the whole of Warwickshire in each different town."

Warwickshire Police work with the Business Partnership, the Police and Crime Commissioner's office, probation teams and dependence services to try to get help for prolific shoplifters.

But Walker admits many shoplifters need more support, rather than jail.

"It's a big cycle, they might go to prison for a certain amount of time, come out and that offending starts, because there is no wrap-around support.

"We're looking at new approaches where they actually get that support, because we accept as police, we are not just an enforcement arm, but we need to tackle the root cause."

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