Shoplifting incidents were down by 16 per cent as crime in England and Wales has seen substantial decline during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, shows the latest data.
According to the figures released on 28 October by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of police recorded shoplifting incidents for the year ending June 2020 stood at 311,320, down from 369,515 in the comparable period in the previous year.
However, for the 12 months ending in March 2020, the decline has been in line with the trend seen in recent years.
The number of shoplifting incidents from April 2019 to March 2020 was 359,238, down from 375,051 in the previous year, a fall of 4.21 per cent. Last year, the corresponding figure was three percent.
Shoplifting numbers have been steadily declining over the years as per ONS data, which trade bodies consider more as a reflection of under reporting.
ONS said crime levels were relatively stable from July 2019 to March 2020, and the annual decrease was mainly driven by substantial falls during the April to June 2020 period, particularly in theft offences.
“Decreases in crime levels during the year ending June 2020 were mainly driven by changes in society after coronavirus lockdown restrictions were put in place. The most substantial reductions were seen in theft and robbery offences during the April to June quarter,” commented Billy Gazard from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice.
Compared to the same period in 2019, crime recorded during April to June 2020 has been 19 per cent lower, whereas the figures for theft offences and robbery were 43 per cent and 47 per cent respectively. This has led to an annual decrease of 4 per cent in total police recorded crime.
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