A record 670 shoplifting offences were left unsolved every day last year as criminals “acted with impunity”, ministers have been warned.
Some 245,500 investigations were shelved by police before a suspect was identified, figures show.
This is up 38% from 178,432 in the year to March 2019.
Analysis of statistics from the House of Commons Library said more than half (56.4%) of shoplifting offences were closed before a suspect was identified, up from 48.9% five years ago.
Only one in six (17.2%) cases led to a suspect being charged or summonsed, down from one in five (21.2%) five years ago.
Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Lisa Smart MP said: “Shop staff are having to deal with a Christmas crime wave as shoplifters act with impunity with so many crimes being effectively legalised by the previous Conservative government’s shocking neglect.
“The new government needs to get a grip on this shoplifting epidemic and hard-working shop staff on the frontline need to be reassured that they will not continue to be abandoned.
“That must start with Ministers making sure that officers will actually have the time and resources to focus on their local neighbourhoods and keep shop workers safe. Until that happens our communities won’t see the proper neighbourhood policing that they deserve.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last month announced the creation of a policing performance unit which will aim to end the “postcode lottery” and track forces’ ability to fight crime.
Policing watchdog Andy Cooke said criminals had become “increasingly brazen” due to fewer officers being on the beat.
He said earlier this month: “It has fuelled an epidemic of crime on our streets, from thefts to violence against women and girls.
“It has increasingly become the norm for neighbourhood policing to be seen as a ‘nice to do’, rather than as essential for forces. This must change.
“Forces need to get the basics right, whether in investigating crime or responding to the public. But preventing crime and disorder in the first place must be a priority, and for this, neighbourhood policing is vital. Its importance should never be overlooked.
“Now is the time for the police to concentrate their efforts into what matters the most to the public: effective neighbourhood policing.
“It is the foundation for policing in England and Wales, and is crucial to restoring the public’s confidence and trust in the police.
“The public rightly want to be able to speak to their local police officers, see them on our streets and feel reassured that they will tackle the issues that matter the most to them. This hasn’t been happening enough.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper have insisted they will hire 13,000 neighbourhood officers to make Britain’s streets safer.
The PM used his “Plan for Change” speech to promise that every neighbourhood will have a named, contactable police officer in their community, dealing with local issues.
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