Businesses across the West of England are being urged to take advantage of funding to tackle shoplifting, after recorded cases soared by more than a third in the past year.
Mayor Dan Norris launching Safer Shops West with Shafique | Photo © WECA
For the first time since records started, there were more than 400,000 cases reported to police in England and Wales, according to the ONS.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris said the figures are “no surprise” as he once again urged stores to apply for grants from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) to help fight back.
“Safer Shops West” allows independent shops to receive £2,000 towards the costs of security measures such as CCTV, screens, body cams and hand-held radios.
Mr Norris said: “These figures will sadly be of surprise to no one – especially those shopworkers on the frontline of a shoplifting epidemic in the West of England, and across the country.
“This level of out-of-control crime is unsustainable and risks some communities losing local stores.
“For the shops that stay open, they will be forced to put up prices to make up for the lost goods – making this frightening cost-of-living crisis even worse for all.
“I urge shops to get in touch with my Mayoral Combined Authority, and join the crime fightback.”
The Mayor is also campaigning for tougher action from ministers to tackle shoplifting and protect shopworkers, including restoring the number of Police Community Support Officers to 2010 levels, and introducing a standalone offence of assaulting a shopworker.
The Avon and Somerset area saw a 41% increase in shoplifting in 2023.
