According to Labor, the Shoplifter Charter has led to a huge increase in thefts – about one crime every minute – but fewer people charged by police.

Party says data shows record 402,482 shoplifting cases in England and Wales For the year ending September 2023.

However, crimes resulting in police charges fell from 20% to 15% between 2018 and 2023, according to a Freedom of Information request.

labor It said offenders were “impunity free” as other penalties were reduced without a corresponding increase.

According to recent Home Office figures, more than 54% of shoplifting offenses were also dismissed without any suspects being identified.

Labor blames the situation partly on a move in 2014 to introduce a “low value” shoplifting category for items with a total value of less than £200.

The proposal was made by then Home Secretary Theresa May to speed up processing and allow police to deal with these crimes by post.

But Labor and other groups such as the British Retail Consortium said this meant officers were no longer prioritizing shoplifting.

A rise in shoplifting and assaults on staff has led some retailers to lock or slap security labels on everyday products such as meat, butter, chocolate and coffee.

Co-op’s food business loses £33m Shoplifting cases surged in just six months last year.

A recent survey by the British Retail Consortium revealed that UK customer theft doubles to 16 million per year – Much higher than the Ministry of Interior’s figures.

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Shadow home secretary Yvette Copper said Labor would change the law because criminals were “unpunished and more local businesses are paying the price”.

Ms Cooper said: “The Conservative government has weakened community policing, leaving our town centers unprotected, and their continued refusal to repeal the £200 rule is encouraging repeat crime and organized gangs of shoplifters.”

“Labour will scrap the Conservative Party’s shoplifter charter and introduce a community policing guarantee, adding 13,000 community police officers and PCSOs to combat shoplifting and keep the public safe.”

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Home Affairs Minister Chris Philp said the “reality” was that people in Labor-controlled areas were 20 per cent more likely to be victims of shoplifting and 20 per cent more likely to be victims of crime than those in Tory areas. 40% higher.

Mr Philp added: “This month, Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives announced that serial or abusive shoplifters will face tougher penalties and we are making attacks on retail workers a separate criminal offence.”