Phase out the word ‘shoplifting’ and say ‘shoplifting’ instead, says House of Lords Home Office

The word “shoplifting” is outdated and should be replaced with “shoplifting” as part of wider measures to boost public confidence in the criminal justice system, a peer committee has recommended.

In a letter to the Home Office, their justice and home affairs committee said the police recorded a record 443,995 incidents of shoplifting in the year to March 2024. However, committee chairman Lord Foster of Bath , said the numbers are considered to be a “drop in the ocean” compared to the actual likely numbers, estimated at 17 million.

The committee said: “Shoplifting is vastly under-reported and not being tackled properly. There is a widespread perception that shoplifting is not taken seriously by the police, which recent media coverage has served to highlight. The perception of an inadequate response to dealing with shoplifting risks undermining confidence in the police and the wider criminal justice system.

The committee’s recommendations include phasing out the word “shoplifting.”

“Clearly, the cumulative effect of what is still considered minor or victimless crime is having a detrimental effect on the retail sector and the wider economy. The Committee does not believe that the term ‘theft’ should be used and would welcome a review by relevant bodies and organizations in the criminal justice system to ensure that the use of the term is removed in legislation and guidance. We recommend that ‘shoplifting’ be used in all cases by the Home Office and the police.’

The commission also called for a legislative overhaul in favor of a presumption against short prison terms for offenders with drug and alcohol problems and greater investment in community sentences with mandatory rehabilitation requirements.