Shoplifting crime - 2005 - 2024

6 December 2024

Request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 No: FOI2024/07973   

I write in connection with your request for information received on 14 November.  I note you seek access to the following information:

Reports of shoplifting offences have you had to your police force in the following years: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

People charged with shoplifting offences by your police force in the following years: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

Reports of shoplifting offences have you had to your police force in the following years involving theft by eating food in a store before buying and throwing away the packet: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

Could you also provide a break down in your answer - as specifically as your data permits - as to what kind of shoplifting offence was committed each year, by percentage. 

I am required by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (The Act) to handle all requests in a manner that is blind to the identity of the requestor. Any information released in response to a request is regarded as being published and therefore, in the public domain without caveat.

Following enquiries within Bedfordshire Police Force please see our response below.

Please see Annex A FOI2024/07973

Please note we have provided 2 sets of data due to change of systems, also we are unable to break down the data any further in Q3.

The numerical data presented in this response is an un-audited snapshot of un-published data sourced from "live" systems and is subject to the interpretation of the original request by the individual extracting the data.