Shoplifting rises by a third across Scotland

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has called on the government to urgently focus on restoring community policing after new research by his party found that crimes of shoplifting have increased by more than third since 2019, with particularly steep rises in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

New research by the party shows that:  

• Across Scotland between 2019 and 2024, shoplifting crimes recorded by the police have increased by more than a third.
• In this same five-year period, Edinburgh shoplifting crimes increased by 76%, while in Glasgow they rose by 46%.
• Between 2019 and 2024, there were 183,486 shoplifting crimes recorded by the police. As of 31st March 2024, just 79,569 resulted in charges being reported to the Procurator Fiscal- just 43% of all shoplifting crimes.

Mr McArthur said:

“These figures emphasise just how vulnerable shopkeepers are to criminal gangs that, too often, are allowed to operate with virtual impunity.

“For too long, the SNP have failed to give our justice system the support it needs. Now, crimes like shoplifting, which cause so much misery for local businesses and communities, are rising.

“Ministers should be pulling out all the stops to reverse this worrying trend, and that starts by focusing on restoring community policing in every corner of Scotland, making sure officers are visible and trusted on our high streets, equipped with the resources they need to do their jobs.”