Met turns to real-time reporting tech as shoplifting crackdown sees solved cases climb

The Metropolitan Police are solving more than one in five shoplifting cases in areas where a new retail crime reporting system has been trialled, significantly outperforming the force’s wider detection rate, according to figures released this week.
The technology, which allows retailers to submit incident reports and CCTV footage to officers instantly, has been piloted since January in parts of London including Lewisham and the central boroughs. Since it was rolled out, 21.4 per cent of cases handled through the platform have ended in an arrest, charge or conviction — compared with a force-wide average of 14 per cent.
What the new reporting system changes for officers on the ground
The central advantage of the system, the Met says, is speed. Retailers can file reports and upload footage directly at the moment an offence occurs, giving investigators immediate access to usable evidence and making it easier to spot repeat offenders who move between boroughs.
Currently, CCTV is supplied in only around one in five shoplifting reports submitted to the force. Where clear footage is provided, however, officers are able to identify roughly 80 per cent of suspects by running the images through facial recognition software and existing crime databases.
Since the pilot began, 482 charges have been brought as a result of cases submitted through the platform, the force said.
Eleven of the twenty retailers responsible for the bulk of reported shoplifting in London are already using the new system. According to Met data, those top twenty chains account for 92.1 per cent of all shoplifting offences recorded in the capital.
Why the Met is framing this as a shift in its approach to retail crime
Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes said tackling shoplifting was a “clear priority” for the force, pointing to a combination of stronger neighbourhood teams, better intelligence and a focus on hotspot areas as the basis for recent gains.
“We’re also using new technology to work faster and more effectively, giving officers a much clearer picture of offending and helping build stronger cases,” he said. “Where we have trialled this retail crime technology, more than one in five shoplifting cases are being solved.”
He added that the partnership with retailers was central to the effort. “When crimes are reported promptly and CCTV is shared quickly, officers can take decisive action.”
The push has coincided with a marked increase in enforcement activity. Over the past year the Met has solved almost twice as many shoplifting offences as the year before, while arrests have risen by roughly 50 per cent — an increase of around 1,800.
Shoplifting across the capital fell by 3.7 per cent between 1 April 2025 and 31 March this year, a drop of about 3,200 offences on the previous 12 months.
A City Hall push backed by record funding
The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, said City Hall was channelling record investment into the fight against shoplifting and antisocial behaviour, describing the technology as “a real game changer” for the capital’s retailers.
“Latest figures show we’re making progress reducing shoplifting in London, but there’s more to do,” Sir Sadiq said. He added that officers would continue to rely on a mix of plain-clothed patrols, extensive CCTV networks and visible presence to identify and prosecute offenders.
The collaborative model appears to be winning support among businesses themselves. Sara Tetlow, partnership manager at the Safer Business Network, pointed to Lewisham — one of the earliest business crime reduction partnerships in the city — as an example of what close co-ordination can achieve.
“Through real-time intelligence sharing, and close work with police, the council and businesses, we can quickly identify high-harm offenders, protect vulnerable people and respond to emerging issues,” she said. Some 83 per cent of businesses in the borough now say they feel safer, according to the network’s figures.
The Met has also released footage highlighting several recent cases brought through the scheme, including a 38-year-old woman charged with 46 offences — among them 23 counts of shoplifting and 23 breaches of criminal behaviour orders — and a 38-year-old man facing 39 charges.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​