Safer City Streets initiative - City of London Police

City of London Police launch Safer City Streets initiative as new data shows a third of shoplifting offences in the City resulted in a positive outcome

New figures released today show that nearly a third of all shoplifting reports in the City of London resulted in a positive outcome, with 31 per cent of the 1,400 shoplifting offences recorded in 2025/26 leading to an arrest, charge or conviction.

The most up to date national figures for shoplifting offences in England and Wales show that on average 18.5 per cent resulted in a positive outcome.

To launch its Safer City Streets initiative, the force is today unveiling a network of newly branded police boxes across the Square Mile, each featuring police officers who patrol the square mile on foot and bike; modernising the former “ring of steel” for 2026 and creating a highly visible policing presence at strategic locations across the City.

The iconic sentry boxes reinforce the Commissioner’s “Going the extra mile” three-year policing plan commitment, acting as a visible reminder of the City of London Police’s neighbourhood presence and rapid response capability.

Commissioner Pete O’Doherty said:

“The City of London Police is internationally recognised as safe for residents and businesses combining visible neighbourhood policing with advanced technology and intelligence-led tactics to protect the most important financial district in the UK.

“These results show the real value of neighbourhood policing and the strong relationships our officers have built with retailers and businesses across the City. When they have confidence their reports will be acted on, offenders pursued and outcomes achieved, they are far more likely to come forward and work with us. Tackling shoplifting and other acquisitive crime is a priority for the City of London Police and these figures demonstrate that our officers, supported by advanced CCTV and intelligence-led policing, are identifying offenders, making arrests and protecting the businesses and victims.

“Every day we police this unique environment, which grows from around 9,000 residents to more than 650,000 people who come to work or visit the City every day. That requires a distinctive policing approach focused on prevention, reassurance and rapid response.

“Our ‘Safer City Streets’ initiative reflects our approach. Whether it’s through our extensive, advanced CCTV network, hotspot policing, specialist retail crime teams or new identification technology to identify offenders, we work hard to prevent crime and keep people safe and feeling safe.”

Tijs Broeke, City of London Police Authority Board Chair, said:

“Retail crime, including shoplifting, is a blight on businesses across the Square Mile, undermining confidence and affecting staff every day. Tackling it must be a priority.

“Safer City Streets shows what can be achieved through visible policing, targeted action, smart use of technology and a pro-active approach to protecting businesses and identifying offenders.

“This is delivering strong results and helping to maintain the City’s position as one of the safest places in the country to work, visit and do business.”

The City’s CCTV network remains one of the most advanced policing assets in the country, allowing officers and control room staff to track suspects in real time, direct resources immediately and protect businesses, workers and the public

The force has invested Home Office funding to analyse crime data and embed hotspot policing as a permanent strategy, providing officers with data-led briefings on precisely when and where to carry out highly visible patrols to maximise crime reduction.  Adding to its CCTV network, the force is adding new cameras in hotspot areas to better detect criminals.

Hot spot policing has already shown results between February 2025 and February 2026.

The City’s CCTV network remains one of the most advanced policing assets in the country, allowing officers and control room staff to track suspects in real time, direct resources immediately and protect businesses, workers and the public.

Additionally, the force’s work to tackle retail crime has received national recognition. Earlier this year, the City of London Police was recognised as one of the highest-rated police forces in the country for taking proactive steps to tackle shop theft and protect retail workers, according to the 2026 British Retail Consortium Crime Report.

The force also continues to invest in technology including the Image Recognition and Identification System (IRIS), which allows officers to identify suspects using searchable tagged images, helping secure faster arrests and prosecutions.