The new Merseyside Police Chief Constable has said the force must respond to ‘every theft’ to tackle shoplifting.
Rob Carden spoke exclusively to Mersey News Live about how he wants the force to act under his leadership.
He addressed a recent surge in shoplifting that is expected to increase during the festive season.
He said: “The first thing is to make sure we respond to every theft; we don’t put a value or a threshold on items because then people will steal to the amount that they believe the Police aren’t going to be involved.”
Carden also spoke about the importance of recognising the situations people find themselves in that turn them to shoplifting.
He said: “It is about taking a firm line and making sure we challenge at every opportunity, the things that are stolen need to be noted too, perishable goods and portable items can be indicative of austerity.”
The number of shoplifting is increasing, with 530,643 offences reported in England and Wales for the year ending March 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics.
This comes at a massive cost to the retail industry according to The British Retail Consortium, the leading trade association for the retailers in the UK.
It reports that theft costs the industry more than £2.2bn a year, with retailers also spending £1.8bn on security measures.
Punishments for shoplifting vary, with a maximum prison sentence of six months for stolen goods worth less than a total of £200 or less.
If they are worth more than the £200, the threshold for the maximum punishment is seven years in prison.
However, shoplifters are rarely prosecuted, with the Metropolitan Police reporting 5.9% of shoplifting incidents recorded in 2025 leading to a charge.
Featured image: Joseph Jones
@merseynewslive Shoplifting will hit the retail sector hard during the festive season , new Chief constable Rob Carden shares his thoughts. #MerseysidePolice #Liverpool
