A leading Scottish trade body has said it believes a rise in store offences last year was caused by a better level of the crimes being recorded to police.
Responding to the publication of the latest Recorded Crime in Scotland statistics, which show a 15% rise in shop thefts over the past year, rising to over 50,000 incidents, Ewan MacDonald-Russell (below right), deputy head of the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC), has responded.
MacDonald-Russell said: “Shop theft continues to be a blight on our communities. Thieving from stores isn’t a victimless crime. It’s a key factor behind rising levels of abuse and threats towards shop workers and we know from member feedback that thieves are becoming bolder and more aggressive.
“The financial cost is immense. Our most recent crime report found the total cost of retail crime across the UK last year was £985m. That cost is paid for through higher prices, a worse shopping experience and undermines the health and vitality of our high streets
“This rise may not mark an increase in crime - just in retailers informing the police.”
“Whilst the rise in recorded crime is disappointing, it’s likely some of this is a consequence of the increased police response following the creation of the Retail Crime Taskforce. Retailers are starting to increase their reporting in the hope Police Scotland will be able to respond more effectively than in the past. So this rise may not mark an increase in crime - just in retailers informing the police.
“However, even these elevated figures are unlikely to capture the full picture of shop theft. Our crime report found there were 5,451,000 incidents of theft from stores across the UK. That reaffirms the need for the Retail Crime Taskforce funding be sustained and enhanced and for the courts to play their part if we are to truly turn the tide on thieving and crime against retailers.”
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