A-Z of Crime Prevention: THEFT FROM SHOPS

Good afternoon Resident

I hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend! Welcome to the 20th A-Z of Crime Prevention newsletter, the 2025 series designed to raise awareness on issues facing our community and allow for engagement and questions from you. Firstly, I’d like to thank any attendees of the St Albans Spring Festival. We ran a stall next to Barclays on St Peters Street alongside Neighbourhood Watch and were thrilled to see residents from across the St Albans district flock to the centre to enjoy the food stalls and entertainment on such a lovely day. 

This week, I’d like to discuss ‘Theft from Shops’, more commonly referred to as Shoplifting. We all know what it is, but did you know the impact it has on communities. No matter who we are or what we do, we all rely on shops and business. They are the centre of a thriving economy, but sadly retail crime and incidents involving aggression and violence towards staff are nationally on the rise. Prolific offenders of acquisitive crime are a primary contributory factor to price increases for law abiding citizens and we recognise the emotional impact on key workers who are forced to confront or deal with shoplifters can have a long-term effect on staff safety and confidence in law enforcement agencies. 

The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) launched the Retail Crime Action Plan in 2023 which provides national guidance for Police forces, partner agencies and retailers to work collaboratively in an effort to robustly tackle retail crime. In March 2025, our Police and Crime Commissioner, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, reviewed Hertfordshire Constabulary’s commitment to tackling shoplifting and launched a Retail Crime Forum which will allow retailers and Police to come together to discuss specific issues faced by businesses in an effort to crack down on shoplifting and increase confidence in the Police’s response. To find out how to register to attend this Forum as a retailer, please click here: Retail Crime Forum to bring retailers and police together to tackle shoplifting and retail crime. 

Since January 1st, 2025, 558 shoplifting reports have been made to Police in the St Albans District, of which we have secured charges and summons to Court and achieved numerous more Out of Court disposals such as Community Resolutions and Conditional Cautions. In the last month, for example, we have charged and summonsed individuals to Court who have repeatedly targeted Waitrose, Boots, the Co-operative, Sainsbury’s, Iceland and TK Maxx. 

We have outlined some simple crime prevention tips on our website which you can view by clicking here: Securing your shop from shoplifters | Crime Prevention | Hertfordshire Constabulary. If you see a retail crime in progress – identifiable when an individual conceals items on their person, clears the shelves of stock, puts items in a foil-lined bag to avoid alarms, or runs away from a shop without paying – call 999. Police will need as much information as possible about the offender, any vehicles they have used, the direction they have run off in, and if any violence has been used. 

Do you have any questions about shoplifting in your neighbourhood? Are you a business owner and want specific advice from your local officer? Don't hesitate to send in your message by clicking ‘Reply’ below. As always, you can rate this message by clicking the thumbs up/down bottom below.

Thank you for reading! All the best for the week ahead. 

PC Fiona Hitchcock.