Shoplifting in Southwark Soars 192%
- 520 Shoplifting incidents recorded in just one month, at an exponential rise
- Just 2% of cases have “positive outcomes”
- Total thefts reach all time high, bucking London trend
Analysis from Southwark Liberal Democrats has revealed a shocking spike in shoplifting incidents in Southwark – with the monthly figures showing an explosion to 520 incidents in September 2024. Compared to September 2023, this represents a 192% increase.
Ward-level analysis shows that the increase is driven by a particular spike in North Walworth, which saw 133 offences in September 2024, compared to just 12 in the same month last year.
The Liberal Democrats reported a rise in shoplifting last year – which saw a 39% rise – but the Liberal Democrats say the latest statistics show an even worse deterioration of public order.
The “positive outcomes measure” - which measures cases closed with anything other than “no further action” has collapsed to 2%, following a generally declining trend.
The data, taken from the Met Police’s crime dashboard, also shows an all time high of all types of thefts in Southwark – which includes phone snatching, shoplifting, and bike theft – whereas the trend is overall down across London as a whole in recent months.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Victor Chamberlain said:
“We were appalled at similar statistics last year, but the scale of this increase is literally of the charts. Labour's Mayor of London has sorely let us down, so many crimes are now effectively decriminalized in London. Southwark is facing the brunt of Sadiq Khan's failure. Local businesses are already struggling with other financial difficulties, and this only adds to the pressure. Residents too deserve to be able to walk down the street without having to worry about watching out for phone thieves. Our London Mayor needs to take this problem seriously, and the council needs to step up and invest in more community wardens and preventative measures to ensure that Southwark is a safe place to live and work.”