Over 1,300 arrests in first year of Retail Crime Taskforce

Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce has supported over 1,300 arrests for retail crime offences since it launched in April last year.

The dedicated unit was established following an initial £3m funding allocation from the Scottish Government to address a rise in retail offences, including shoplifting and assault of retail workers.

In its first 12 months of operation, the Taskforce’s four-strand approach to prevent, pursue, protect and prepare has resulted in over 6,400 charges for retail crime, with the detection rate having risen to just under 51%, compared with 49% the previous year.

Despite successes in improving detection rates, increasing arrest numbers and enhancing retailer confidence in reporting incidents to police, Scotland continues to experience an ongoing rise in retail crime, with theft by shoplifting offences having risen by 19% in comparison with last year.

To address this, the Taskforce will continue to work alongside local policing divisions and a range of key partners and stakeholders to improve security on-site for retail premises, enhance the safety of retail workers and use all resources at their disposal to undertake effective enforcement activity against retail crime offenders.

In addition, dedicated Taskforce resources are now in place within Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Tayside to ensure areas most adversely affected by retail crime are being fully supported.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government announced and additional £9m in funding to Police Scotland to tackle retail crime over the next three years, meaning the Retail Crime Taskforce will operate until at least 2029. 

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