Pensioners: Shoplifting

Lord Cameron of Lochiel Excerpts

Thursday 15th May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Con)]

My Lords, it is imperative that those working in shops, and retail workers in general, are protected in the face of significant levels of aggressive behaviour and violence in so-called kamikaze shoplifting raids. I know that the Government plan to bring in a new specific offence of assaulting retail workers. However, new laws like that work only when the police are there to enforce them. Can the Minister confirm that the number of new police officers entering the front line will be sufficient to help tackle the crime of shoplifting in general?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I shall say two things to the noble Lord, and I hope he can support the Government on this. We have put in an extra £1 billion of funding into policing this year, over and above what was in last year. We are funding 3,000 extra neighbourhood police officers this year. The plan is to fund 13,000 neighbourhood police officers over the course of this Parliament. I was Police Minister in 2010. In 2011, 20,000 police officers were lost, and that has had a big impact on capacity over that time. I say to the noble Lord that people who undertake violence and ram raids are criminal organised gangs and the police need to focus on that, but neighbourhood policing can also help in improving relationships and highlighting the fact that shop theft, be it one cup of coffee, a jar of coffee or a ram raid full of alcohol, meat and expensive products, is taken seriously by the police.