‘Spike’ in shoplifting may be related to cost-of-living crisis says Derry police chief

The Derry and Strabane District Commander told the ‘Journal’ shoplifting and retail crime and other instances of theft have been on the rise.

“We have seen a large spike in the district this year, a large spike across the service, of thefts and related types of thefts. It has certainly impacted ourselves here in Derry and in Strabane,” he said.

Ch/Supt. Goddard told the ‘Journal’ it is not inconceivable that the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and the punishing economic circumstances many families are suffering have contributed to the increase.

"It's hard to prove causation but it is not an unrealistic hypothesis at the minute. We do see that,” he stated.

However, the Derry police commander said organised shoplifting involving the theft of thousands of pounds worth of goods by criminal gangs is a phenomenon that can inflict damaging losses on locally owned shops and businesses.

“Our city centre team have been very focused on running operations and working with the commercial businesses around it,” he said.

Referring to the possibility that some people may be shoplifting out of desperation, Ch/Supt. Goddard said: “We are in that Christmas period. I guess we are in the cost-of-living crisis and that kind of stuff.

"Somewhere along the line that could pose real dilemmas for us as a society if you have people who are shoplifting to feed themselves or their kids.”

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