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Shoplifters of the world are uniting in Manchester
Manchester indie band The Smiths penned the 1980s anthem Shoplifters of the World Unite – and 40 years later the track has come home to roost in the city.
According to an article in the Manchester Evening News, shoplifters carried out almost 18,000 crimes in Greater Manchester last year - and nearly all of them got away with it.
The latest crime figures suggest there were two acts of retail pilfering every hour but 85 per cent of cases were dropped by police and prosecutors.
Shoplifting costs the nation an estimated £500m every year, according to the British Retail Consortium.
But very few cases are investigated and only a tiny proportion end up in court.
The latest official figures show there were 17,352 suspected shoplifting offences committed across Greater Manchester in 2018, about two every hour.
That's down slightly compared to 2017 (17,835) although before that there had been a steady rise since 2012 (13,921).
Last year more than half of shoplifting investigations were dropped because no suspect was identified (59 per cent).
A further 15 per cent of cases were dropped because of a lack of evidence and another 12 per cent were jettisoned as it was deemed 'not in the public interest' to proceed with a prosecution.
It means no one was prosecuted for 86 per cent of shoplifting in our region.
Only nine per cent of shoplifters were actually charged or summonsed for the crime, while four per cent of cases were settled out of court.
In fewer than one per cent of cases the shoplifting charge was 'taken into consideration' as part of sentencing for more serious crimes.
In April, Chief Constable Ian Hopkins admitted more than 40 per cent of crimes are never investigated by Greater Manchester Police, which has struggled to cope with a rising tide of crime after losing more than 2,000 police officers due to austerity cuts from 2010.
As at March 2018 there were the equivalent of 6,349 full time police officers working across Greater Manchester. The force had more than 8,000 before 2010.
Mr Hopkins said his officers were prioritising more serious and violent crimes. It means 600 crimes per day are not being investigated.
Last month the M.E.N. revealed how an army of shoplifters was holding Swinton-based Quality Save to ransom.
Criminals are walking into shops and stealing hundreds of pounds worth of stuff in plain sight.
Bosses of the store say CCTV doesn't put them off, neither do 6ft security guards. In the last 12 months, shoplifting has cost the company £1.5m.
Simon Kempton, Police Federation of England and Wales’ operational lead, said: "It is frustrating to see so many investigations being dropped due to lack of evidence, and, although they may not be considered the most serious of offences, it is important those responsible are not allowed to do as they wish without the fear of being caught.
"Our members are trying to meet growing demand with dwindling numbers and we simply cannot do everything we once could.
"These findings do not surprise me, and the government needs to wake up to what is happening.
"What is urgently needed is a significant centrally-funded investment, so our hard-working members can provide the best level of service to keep the public safe.”
Business owners warn that the true scale of shoplifting is much higher - and say that a lack of response from police is giving offenders confidence to commit further crimes.
James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, said: "Theft against convenience stores is a huge issue that often goes unreported because of retailers’ frustration with the response from police.
"We do not believe that the police recorded crime figures reflect what’s actually happening on the ground due to the significant levels of underreporting.
"The majority of people committing theft against convenience stores are repeat offenders, stealing high value items to sell on - often to fund other criminal activity.
"One of the biggest concerns we have about theft not being dealt with by police is that when criminals become more confident and do not fear the justice system, they may be more likely to commit more serious offences against retailers like assaults on staff and even armed robberies."
Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "When businesses fall victim to this kind of crime, it leaves innocent people out of pocket and unable to provide for their families.
"The recent rise in small business crime is exacerbated by a lack of police resources that have been stretched in recent years, and while it is important that all crime is reported and investigated, some forces just simply don’t have the money to do so.
"If the police are not able to meet the needs of businesses across the country, then the government should step in and give the authorities the funding they need to tackle this problem."
Deputy Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, lead for acquisitive crime at the National Police Chiefs Council, said: "Forces prioritise cases where there is a realistic prospect of prosecution and in some cases police can, and do, use alternative outcomes like cautions or restorative justice.
"Police will investigate all cases of shoplifting, focus on targeting prolific offenders and continue working with stores to make sure their security is the best it can be."
A GMP spokesperson said: “With thousands of fewer officers across Greater Manchester, increased complexity of demand and potential further cuts on the horizon, we have had to make changes to the way we work to meet the public’s need.
“We are absolutely committed to reducing the impact of this reduction in police resources on the people of Greater Manchester and have transformed the way that we work to ensure we are providing the best possible service.
“When reports are made to police, we make an assessment on how best to respond based on the threat, risk and harm posed to the public.
“The report is then assessed and depending on its severity, officers could be deployed immediately, later the same day or the call may be able to be resolved over the phone without having to send someone out.
“Inevitably, we have to make difficult decisions when prioritising calls to provide the right service to those who need it most.
“We have issued smartphones and tablets to frontline staff to enable them to spend more time out in the community, while we are transforming the way we work with a new operational policing system.
“We also focus on prevention, working with partners and communities to problem solve the factors that contribute to recurring crime ‘hotspots’.
“We will continue to do everything we can, alongside our partners and communities, to keep the people of Greater Manchester safe and provide the best service we can to those who need us most.”
