Call shoplifting ‘shop theft' to avoid trivialising crime, ministers say
The Government has agreed to use the alternative phrase after peers warned that the word 'shoplifting' was 'outdated' and downplayed the seriousness of the offence.
In a letter to ministers, the House of Lords' justice and home affairs committee argued that the 'historic' term was 'trivialising the severity of the offence'.
It called for the word 'shoplifting' to be 'phased out' in legislation and guidance, with 'shop theft' instead used in all cases by the Home Office and the police.
In response to the letter, which was sent last year, the Government committed to using 'shop theft' where 'appropriate'.
Tackling shoplifting has been one of Sir Keir Starmer's priorities since coming into office last year.
The rate of shoplifting is now nearly double that of two decades ago, with a high of three thefts a minute recorded across England and Wales in the year to March.
In an attempt to address the problem, Labour has pledged to spend £200m on neighbourhood policing and make it a more serious offence to assault a shop worker.
However, the Government's handling of the crisis has come under fire this week. Downing Street was forced to admit that the Prime Minister would not call shoplifters 'scumbags' after police officers told a shopkeeper that a sign emblazoned with the message could be offensive.
Subsequently, Dame Diana Johnson, the policing minister, was criticised for telling shop owners not to place 'high value' items close to store entrances.
In November, the Lords committee warned Dame Diana that the problem was 'not being tackled properly', calling for 'immediate action' to bring it under control.
Following their inquiry the peers set out 15 key points, with the first focused on phasing out the use of the term 'shoplifting'.
The letter, sent in November, said: 'The use of the outdated term 'shoplifting' serves to trivialise the serious, organised nature of an increasing element of shop theft which is having a devastating effect on the retail sector. We recommend its use should be phased out.'
In response, Dame Diana said: 'The Government will use the expression 'shop theft' where appropriate. However, the Government do not think it is proportionate to pay to change all 43 police systems to shop theft, therefore the crime recorded data by police will be known as shoplifting.
'The public are also familiar with the expression of shoplifting and are likely to continue to use it, therefore supporting media may need to continue to refer to this for clarity. The Government will consider whether we need to work with the media to change this wording.'
She added that the Government had consulted police, who said it was sometimes 'necessary' for them to use the term shoplifting when quoting the Home Office.
However, officers said this would be resolved with 'any change in legislation and classification as recommended'.
Opal, the national police intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crimes, also said it would encourage the use of the term 'shop theft' instead of 'shoplifting' in general communications.
There were a record 530,643 shoplifting offences reported to police in the year to March, up 20 per cent on the previous year's total of 444,022.
It emerged this week that the problem is becoming increasingly rife in chemists, with an estimated 88 per cent increase in the theft of drugs and other medical supplies from pharmacies in the past year.
Owners have resorted to wearing body cameras and hiring security guards at their own expense to deter thieves, according to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA).
Footage shared with The Telegraph revealed multiple examples of people wandering in off the street and filling bags and coat pockets with products from pharmacy shelves, then often brazenly walking out even if they are intercepted by staff.
In one example, a man wielding a knife appeared to threaten an employee to obtain cash.
In July, a Romanian mother was jailed for 32 months after stealing perfume and cosmetics.
Bianca Mirica, 20, admitted 30 charges of theft from Boots branches across London between December 2023 and May last year as part of an organised gang of female thieves.
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