Thursday 06 August 2026 4:14 pm  |  Updated:  Friday 07 August 2026 3:59 pm

Policing alone won’t solve London’s shoplifting epidemic

By: Dee Corsi

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Shoplifting is damaging London’s reputation as a global city. It’s time the entire justice system pulled together to tackle it, says Dee Corsi

London’s attractiveness as a globally renowned destination for culture and tourism isn’t going anywhere. But recent research from New West End Company has found that safety and policing is holding it back.

Despite our new PM’s devolution agenda, we need to see retail crime front and centre of justice reforms for the good of the country and economy. London is a global city representing a huge part of UK GDP, yet its police officer per capita ratio is nearly half that of Paris. This is an issue not just for Londoners, but for businesses, visitors and those wanting to invest here.

What can we do? Against a challenging funding backdrop, every pound invested needs to deliver maximum return for public safety. The West End – home to Oxford Street, colloquially known as the “nation’s high street” – has the potential to shift perceptions about London crime and set an example for others to follow. By building strong, operational........

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