Tory police chief faces backlash over telling public to stop shoplifters
Matthew Barber, the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, branded people who do not do anything in the face of shoplifting as 'part of the problem'.
Joshua Reynolds, the Liberal Democrat MP for Maidenhead, which is in the Thames Valley Police area, launched a strong criticism of Mr Barber's remarks, telling The Independent they were 'dangerous' and 'irresponsible'.
And following Mr Barber's claims, policing minister Dame Diana Johnson warned members of the public against confronting shoplifters.
The backlash comes as the number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales climbed to another record high in 2024-25, up 20 per cent from 2023-24.
Last month, home secretary Yvette Cooper announced a new crime 'blitz' to crack down on crime, featuring more visible policing and stronger enforcement in a bid to restore confidence in policing.
But as The Independent revealed recently, shopkeepers are struggling against the wave of shoplifting offences.
In response to the crisis, The Telegraph reported Mr Barber said: 'If you're not even going to challenge people, you're not going to try and stop them, then people will get away with it. That's not just about policing. That's a bigger problem with society, people who [don't do anything] – you're part of the problem.'
He told a meeting of the Thames Valley police and crime panel in June that he 'wouldn't for a moment' want to suggest people should feel 'obliged to take it upon themselves to rugby tackle every perceived criminal to the ground'.
But he added: 'We should all be responsible citizens in our community.
'If you've got someone in your store now stealing from you, call 999. Also, ideally, try and stop them leaving, don't just stand there and watch, which a lot of people do, which frustrates me.'
Retailers, meanwhile, have accused police of not doing enough to tackle shoplifting.
A new survey revealed almost nine in 10 (88 per cent) of pharmacies have experienced a surge in shoplifting incidents in the last year. Some 87 per cent also reported an increase in aggressive or intimidating behaviour towards pharmacy teams, while 22 per cent said they had witnessed physical assaults on staff. But of those who reported these instances to police, almost three-quarters (73 per cent) said they felt the response was insufficient.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) – which conducted the poll of 476 pharmacies in England, and represents more than 6,000 independent community pharmacies – called the findings 'unacceptable'.
In response to the commissioner's comments, Mr Reynolds said: 'With all due respect to the police and crime commissioner, asking shop staff or bystanders to 'challenge' criminals is not only irresponsible, it's dangerous.
"Having previously worked in supermarkets, I have personally experienced the threat of violence from shoplifters. It is wholly unreasonable – and frankly irresponsible – to imply that any individual should put themselves at risk in such circumstances.
"The job of tackling crime on our high streets should not fall to shopworkers or people doing their weekly shop – it falls to the police. And if they're not there in sufficient numbers, that's something for the commissioner to fix, not deflect.
"The public has every right to expect safety in their communities. That safety comes from visible, proactive policing and not from moral lectures aimed at shop workers and citizens who are just trying to go about their daily lives.
"If the commissioner wants to see more people stepping in, then he needs to start by showing that the police will be there to back them up – not by putting them in harm's way'
And speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Ms Johnson said: 'I would not advise people to tackle an individual who was stealing.
'I came across someone stealing in a store in Hull. I went straight to the assistant to tell them what was happening. I felt that was the best thing to do.
'Obviously, it is a judgment for individuals to take, but I am worried about people feeling they need to have a go. I don't think that is appropriate.'
But Mr Barber told The Telegraph he stood by his remarks, adding: 'The idea that this is just a job for the police, citizens have no responsibility, put your head down, carry on, don't get involved, I think that makes for a very poor society.'
However, he stressed that he was not implying the public should 'step in where the police are not', as he emphasised the clear role police had in tackling crime.
He added: 'But surely the alternative to intervening if a crime is happening in society, is you put your head down, get on with your life, ignore it, is that right?'
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