Thank you for your interest in this story
To continue reading this article, subscribe to the Stray Ferret for as little as £1 a week
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
08
Sept
What can be done to tackle shoplifting in the Harrogate district?
It’s a problem that has seen a dramatic rise in the last two years - the issue of shoplifting on the streets of Harrogate.
The Stray Ferret reported a significant increase in retail theft in our Trading Hell series this year, where traders expressed a deep sense of frustration that not enough is being done to make our shopping streets safe.
Since then the issue has reached the office of Jo Coles, the newly appointed deputy mayor for policing and crime, and recognised by the new Labour government during the recent general election.
But what exactly can be done about the problem and is it getting worse?
Dramatic rise
The rise in shoplifting in Harrogate has been dramatic.
North Yorkshire Police’s own crime statistics show that in the Harrogate town policing area, reports of retail theft increased from 333 in 2022 to 539 last year - a 61% rise.
Worryingly for traders, the first six months of 2024 - the latest data available - show 293 reports have been made, which is slightly higher than the same period last year (290).
Figures for reported shoplifting in Harrogate. Data: Police.uk
The Stray Ferret understands that some of the most affected businesses in Harrogate include national retailers such as Primark, Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
During our Trading Hell series, concern over the problem was heightened following incidents of thefts worth hundreds of pounds on Beulah Street and Commercial Street last year.
Another incident in November 2023 saw a “prolific shoplifter” threaten staff in Asda on Bower Road after staff tried to stop her stealing two bottles of alcohol.
The trend is not unique to Harrogate either.
In Knaresborough, 49 reports of shoplifting were made to police in 2022. This increased by 55% to 76 in 2023.
Similarly, a rise can also be seen in Ripon where 139 incidents of retail theft were reported in 2022 and 194 were made last year.
Some business organisations blame the the rise on Home Office guidance, which was amended in 2014 under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act to put a “low value” threshold of £200 on shoplifting incidents.
The idea was that should a case fall under that limit, it could be dealt with as a summary offence at magistrates court which would speed up the judicial process.
A government guidance document published in October 2013 ahead of the changes said:
Introducing a monetary threshold for shoplifting will mean the CPS can focus their resources on more serious and contested cases, where their independence and specialist skills add most value.
However, the British Retail Consortium claimed that, due to the changes in guidance, police forces were not taking lower value shoplifting seriously.
Following a survey of its 200 members in February, the organisation said retailers held a "widespread belief" that if a theft was below £200 there would be "no police action".
‘Unacceptable increase’
So what can be done about the rise in shoplifting?
Some councillors have called for better neighbourhood policing to tackle the problem.
Cllr Michael Pavlovic, a City of York councillor, put the concerns of shopkeepers to David Skaith, Labour mayor of York and North Yorkshire, and Jo Coles, Labour deputy mayor for policing and crime, at a meeting in July.
He said:
We have also seen the effective decriminalisation of retail theft and the impact that has. No police in those areas is going to result in the hollowing out of communities.
The Stray Ferret asked Ms Coles whether her office had any plans to put shoplifting on the force's agenda.
Ms Coles told the Stray Ferret that the rise was unacceptable and acknowledged that the increase had caused problems for shop owners and staff.
But, she added that police had focussed on shop theft this summer, which had resulted in an increase in charges and prosecutions.
Jo Coles, deputy mayor for police, fire and crime.
North Yorkshire Police launched Project Spotlight in Harrogate in March, which came seven weeks after the Stray Ferret requested an interview with the force for our Trading Hell series on the matter of retail theft and anti-social behaviour.
But, Ms Coles said the scheme had helped to increase the charges and prosecution rate of shoplifters from 15% to 40%.
She said:
Over recent years there’s been a significant and unacceptable rise in shoplifting across the country which has been a huge problem for high streets and has caused misery for business owners and staff.
This summer North Yorkshire Police established a specialist team of officers to proactively work with retailers to tackle shop theft and as a result there has been a big increase in charges and prosecutions of shoplifters across Harrogate and Knaresborough – up from just 15% last year to 40% now.
The police are also investing in software and equipment to enable officers and businesses to submit evidence such as CCTV more easily.
Nationally, Ms Cole’s party has also taken notice of the problem of retail theft.
In the King’s Speech in July, the Labour government pledged to remove the £200 lower value limit on shoplifting and introduce “stronger measures to tackle low level shoplifting” as part of a new crime and policing bill.
The move was part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s agenda to be tough on crime and clamp down on anti-social behaviour - but detail on what the measures will be have yet to be published.
Locally, some see the the way to tackling the problem as simpler than grand political moves.
Harrogate BID manager, Matthew Chapman.
Matthew Chapman, Harrogate Business Improvement District manager, has long advocated for retailers in the town to report crime in order to demonstrate to police that shoplifting should be a priority for the force.
He told the Stray Ferret previously that the significant rise in shoplifting was one of the major challenges for businesses.
Mr Chapman said:
The one thing we would ask people to focus on is reporting, no matter how small the crime is.
2