A policing chief says there is “no point” in arresting shoplifters because offenders are too often spared jail. Katy Bourne, the national lead for shoplifting at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, called for a tougher deterrent to combat the crime.

In 2024, shoplifting hit a record high, with the number of offences surpassing 500,000 for the first time, up 20% from 2023. The Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex said offenders were not being sent to prison as they are full, adding alternative methods must be found to stop repeat offenders. She said it was “madness” how many times offenders had to be arrested before being jailed.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Ms Bourne said: “If prison is not an option – and I think it should be, but at the moment it clearly isn’t as there are no places – then we’ve got to find credible alternatives.

“People have got to know that they’re going to get caught, and that there’s a meaningful deterrent when they do. There is no point arresting shoplifters if there is no effective deterrent.”

She added offenders needed a “metaphorical punch on the nose”, with “robust police intervention followed swiftly by meaningful criminal justice measures that deter and prevent them from re-offending”.

Ms Bourne’s comments come a week after reports that officers spoke to a shopkeeper in Wrexham after he posted a sign referring to “scumbag shoplifters”.

North Wales Police said it did not appear he had committed any offence.

She expressed concerns that police forces are now “more worried about upsetting career criminals rather than catching them”.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex said she has long called for a nationwide electronic tagging scheme, with the county set to become the first to introduce this for “persistent shoplifters”.

It will reportedly see shoplifters subject to GPS tagging and rehabilitation orders issued by courts.

They could then be banned from shops from which they have stolen or given curfews to stop their thieving, the news outlet reports.

Ms Bourne told the broadsheet she is “fed up waiting for the Government to act”.

She said: “We will be working with the courts to see how tags might be issued and with police and industry to see how the tags could be monitored. I don’t know if this will work but we have to try.

“Ultimately, it sends a clear signal to shoplifters that we won’t look the other way in Sussex. I sound frustrated and angry because we have talked for far too long about getting to grips with retail crime, but indecision and a lack of criminal justice system cohesion are slowing our response.”

The Express has approached the Home Office for a comment.