Received: 17 July 2023

I’m contacting you for an official response to claims made in an article we are publishing on shoplifting.

Several shop workers told me police do not come when called for shoplifting unless the theft is incredibly high value (one said over £400).

Are police deployed when a shoplifting call is made?

Do the police only come if the shoplifting instance has specific (eg a certain value must be stolen, threat of violence, serial shoplifter)?

If so, what would have to happen for police to respond?

Finally, I’m placing an FOI request for data outlining how often police respond to shoplifting calls, and how long they take.

Responded: 19 July 2023

Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) confirms that it does not hold this data.