The enforcement strategy draws inspiration from Bromley's Operation Kelleher, which achieved a 70% drop in local retail crime in 2025 by focusing on just 10 prolific individuals. Across England and Wales, police will now utilize criminal behaviour orders, intensive supervision courts, and the threat of deportation for foreign nationals to deter repeat perpetrators. This push follows 2024 data showing recorded shoplifting surged past half a million incidents nationwide. While business leaders demand more arrests, industry groups and charities urge authorities to also tackle drug addiction and homelessness.
Key points
Authorities are pairing intensive supervision and GPS tags with prison threats to break c…: Authorities are pairing intensive supervision and GPS tags with prison threats to break chronic retail offending patterns.
Retail crime hit a record peak in 2024 with more than half a million officially recorded…: Retail crime hit a record peak in 2024 with more than half a million officially recorded incidents.
Industry leaders and support charities agree that addressing root causes like addiction i…: Industry leaders and support charities agree that addressing root causes like addiction is essential alongside targeted arrests.
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Five hundred of the most prolific shoplifters across England and Wales will be targeted in a police crackdown on retail crime, with tougher sentences, high-street bans and GPS tagging.
The home secretary said up to 17 police forces will target the repeat offenders in their area, collecting evidence of offences to secure stronger sentences and ensure they face “real consequences”, backed by an extra £2.5m in funding.
Tactics will include the expanded use of criminal behaviour orders, where repeat offenders are banned from high streets and town centres, GPS tagging, and intensive supervision courts, where perpetrators must attend regular judicial hearings.
Those who do not comply or breach conditions will face imprisonment in the most serious cases, and foreign offenders could face deportation.
The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said the government wanted to target people “who are causing so much harm to our communities”.
She said: “A small number of offenders commit a disproportionate amount of shop theft. They wreak havoc on our high streets, leave businesses out of pocket and make retail workers scared to go to work.”
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