Highland families shoplifting to feed themselves, police say

Chief superintendent Julian Innes, Police Scotland’s divisional commander for the Highlands and Islands, said shoplifting had “seen a spike this year”.

There were 304 shoplifting cases in the area in Q1 2015, up from 209 over the same period last year. It is the first rise in that category since 2010-11, seen against an overall 3 per cent increase in crime in the region.

Mr Innes presented the quarterly crime figures to the local scrutiny board of Highland Council on Wednesday.

Speaking after the meeting, he said: “We’ve seen more shoplifters than ever in the Highlands and our view is that people are stealing to feed themselves.

“The evidence that makes us believe that is what things people are stealing. People have always stolen from shops but we have been seeing an increase in people stealing foodstuffs.”

He added: “We’re working closely with the shops that we know are being targeted to see if we can make them a little bit harder to steal from.”

Councillor Hamish Fraser, chair of Highland Council’s community safety, public engagement and equalities committee, said on Wednesday: “The rise in shoplifting reported here today is also of concern and there are wider social and economic issues at play here.

“Theft from our shops is not a victimless crime and results in higher costs for everyone. I would especially like to see the bigger supermarkets and shops taking action to address this problem.”