In a bid to address the escalating issue of retail crime, the government plans to abolish the existing £200 threshold in shoplifting legislation, marking a significant shift in its approach to tackling crime in the retail sector.
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson announced the government’s intention to retract the 2014 legislation that categorised shoplifting involving goods under £200 as a summary-only offence. At the Co-operative Party’s retail crime summit in London, Johnson emphasised the need for stringent measures to protect retail workers and businesses from criminal activities.
The scrapped legislation had introduced a ‘low category shoplifting’ classification, which led to a decrease in police attention toward crimes under the specified value, even when such actions became repetitive or were orchestrated by criminal groups. Johnson indicated that removing this threshold aims to restore the seriousness of these offences in the eyes of the law.
Dame Diana Johnson voiced criticism towards the previous Conservative government, attributing the current ‘unacceptable’ situation to their policies over the past 14 years. The minister stated, “It is simply not right to leave business and retail workers at the mercy of criminals. We will therefore remove the £200 threshold and treat shoplifting with the seriousness that it deserves, ending the shameful neglect of shoplifting over the last 10 years.”
Moreover, Johnson declared the introduction of a new law addressing assaults on shop workers, highlighting that the UK is overdue for such legal changes. This measure comes amid increasing pleas from leading retailers for governmental action against rising retail crime, which has prompted some supermarkets to adopt technological solutions like security robots to counteract these issues.
The government’s decision to abolish the £200 threshold represents a decisive move to enhance the handling of retail crime and safeguard workers. With new legislation anticipated, the focus will likely shift towards more rigorous enforcement and protection measures.
