Shoplifting - Have the Police given up?

In 2024/25 there were 10,885 Shoplifting Crimes reported to the Police in Bristol.

You can see that 42% of the shoplifting crimes reported in this period are still under investigation, with just 7% of the crimes resulting in a suspect being charged.

You might assume that many of the "under investigation" cases could result in someone being charged, but you can see that after 17 months, nearly all of the "under investigation" cases become "Status update unavailable". This shows that the Police stop providing updates after this time and we don't know the outcome for these crime reports. The assumption could be that they are just closed with no further action. You can see this transition in the chart for 2024.

Looking more closely at the figures for 2025, you can see that the proportion of shoplifting crimes where "No Action" was taken increased in the last 3 months of 2025.

These are the outcomes for the Shoplifting crimes reported in Oct/Nov/Dec 2025.

In 50% of these cases, the Police complete their investigation with "no suspect identified". Does the mean the Police are just closing the investigation if someone isn't detained at the scene, or if the victim does not know the suspect?

Ward Crimes

These are the Top 10 Wards for Shoplifting in 2024/25, with Frome Vale having one shoplifting crime report per 15.4 people living in the Ward.

Looking at the number of Shoplifting crimes reported these are the Top 10 Wards.

Looking at the proportion of crimes where action is taken, you can see that these are the Top 10 Wards where suspects are most likely to be prosecuted.

These are the Top 10 Wards with the lowest number of Shoplifting crimes reports in 2024/25. Please note that St George Troopers Hill had no Shoplifting crimes reported in this period. This doesn't mean that there are no shoplifters in this Ward, just that no crimes were reported.

We have all heard how difficult it is for retailers to survive in these difficult times, and we are likely to see more shops close as they incur ever higher business rates, staff costs and an epidemic of shoplifting.

Shoplifting epidemic ‘makes us feel invalidated, exposed and vulnerable’ - Bristol 24/7 Dec 2025

Joh Rindom, the owner of That Thing on Stokes Croft, said that shoplifting “makes us feel invalidated, exposed and vulnerable”.

“It’s ‘petty’ crime that the police don’t care about, and not worth insurance claims as premiums just sky rocket.

“It’s endless police reports, downloading of CCTV, in-house WhatsApp messages, stress and worries.

“And then the follow-up emails and another case closed. For what?

“We cannot survive as a small business if this keeps happening. We need support and pressure easing.

Avon and Somerset Police need to put more effort into investigating these crimes and the legal system needs to think about harsher penalties for shoplifters if they want to get this shoplifting epidemic under control.

Real reason behind shoplifting epidemic flagged by senior Avon and Somerset Police officer - Bristol Live Aug 2025

Katy Bourne, the national lead for shoplifting at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said more robust police interventions and "meaningful criminal justice measures" are needed to prevent reoffending but Jon Cummins, Assistant Chief Constable from Avon and Somerset Police, has a more nuanced view of the problem.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that wider societal issues including poverty, the cost-of-living crisis and addiction are the chief factors contributing to the shoplifting spike.

He said on Saturday: "If they see somebody shoplifting, my advice to them is they must call us ... not to intervene.

"We clearly want to be attending and will be attending reports".

Two shoplifters jailed after admitting 24 offences in Bristol - Bristol Live Feb 2026

David Mullin and James Carbon were both sentenced to eight weeks in prison.

Mullin, 36 and of no fixed address, admitted 21 shoplifting offences from a shop in Bishopsworth on Monday, February 9. He was sentenced to eight weeks in prison after a suspended sentence was activated, Avon and Somerset Police said.

Carbon, 43 and of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to three thefts from shops in Knowle and Whitchurch between October and January. He was jailed for eight weeks on Friday, February 6. A criminal behaviour order was granted against him.

Inspector Terry Murphy said: “Shoplifting can have a massive impact on businesses and we’ve been working hard to work with retailers and bring offenders to justice. “We hope these court results encourage people to continue reporting these crimes to us, either by calling us or via out website.”

Man steals over £40,000 in items from retail parks in two months - Bristol Live Feb 2026

A man from Bristol who stole more than £40,000 worth of items from various retail parks across the city and North Somerset in two months will be sentenced next month.

Joshua Milkins, 35 and of Meriet Avenue in Hartcliffe, appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court on Monday, February 2. He pleaded guilty to 14 charges of shop theft where he stole items totalling a value of £40,463.

Avon and Somerset Police said Milkins targeted sport shops, leisure retailers and chemists in Emerson's Green, Longwell Green, Imperial Park, Avonmeads and Worle.