David Davies: There is a way to increase police numbers and reduce shoplifting, at no extra cost

David T.C. Davies is a former Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, former Welsh Secretary and former MP for Monmouth.

Shoplifting is soaring, retailers are bleeding cash, and the police increasingly will not deal with it. Although one hard-pressed shopkeeper in North Wales, repeatedly targeted by shoplifters, managed to get the police to attend — but only so they could order him to take down his “shoplifters are scum” notice.

Various “solutions” have been floated. Some suggest tougher sentencing. Others want AI cameras, private security, or even a return to the stocks. But as with most social problems, there’s no single, simple answer.

Years ago, I put forward a modest plan to Ministers which, I believe, could have helped. Unfortunately, plans that only “help a little” rarely grab political attention. Later, when I became a Minister myself, I learned why: big ideas are not always welcome. You quickly discover you’re run ragged just trying to stay on top of your own department’s responsibilities.

This idea, however, has the rare advantage of costing the taxpayer not a single penny. So, here goes:

Back in 2007, I was a newly elected MP sitting on the Home Affairs Select Committee looking at policing and crime. As part of the role, I shadowed the police for a shift to understand their work. I met several Special Constables and thought this looks fascinating — a proper way to contribute to the community and gain first-hand experience of policing. So I signed up.

The commitment is one eight-hour shift a fortnight, unpaid. At first, you work under supervision, ticking off key skills — arrest procedures, searches, statements — but once you’re signed off, you can work independently. It took me about a year.

I did it for eight years and loved it.

The training and experience are invaluable. But here’s the crucial point: although Specials usually volunteer only a few hours a month, they are fully warranted police officers 24 hours a day, with a warrant card to prove it.

That makes a real difference. It gives you the confidence to step in when something’s kicking off — not by wading in fists-first, but by calmly identifying yourself, speaking firmly, and, if necessary, making an arrest and calling for backup.

I didn’t make a habit of doing this, but there were occasions when it had to be done — including once at a local branch of Asda, when a shoplifter started fighting with a security guard who was trying to detain him.

Now, imagine thousands more people had that training and authority.

More Specials would mean more warranted officers on the streets. But here’s the problem: we can’t expect off-duty Specials to leap into action every time someone nicks a packet of biscuits. Nor can we expect huge numbers of people to give up endless evenings and weekends for nothing.

Here is my proposal -get the big retail chains involved.

Iceland has been in the press this week urging customers to report shoplifters and even offering financial incentives to do so. Like many major companies, they already allow staff to volunteer for socially useful causes during paid time. Nothing could be more socially useful than tackling theft and making Britain’s streets safer. So why not encourage supermarkets, department stores, and shopping chains to train some of their staff as Special Constables — on company time, at company expense?

At the moment, store detectives and security guards have no more legal powers than you or me. They can ask a suspected thief to stay put, but if the person refuses, there’s little they can do without risking a messy confrontation.

Train staff members as Special Constables, though, and suddenly everything changes. They’d have proper powers of arrest, the confidence to use them, and — crucially — the knowledge to handle the paperwork afterwards. And anyone who’s ever worked with the police knows that paperwork is half the battle. One reason officers are reluctant to deal with low-level shoplifting is that it drags them off the streets for hours. Specials trained on the process, could do much of it themselves.

The benefits are obvious. Shops get better-protected staff. The police gain extra capacity. The public feels safer. And the taxpayer spends nothing.

Of course, this wouldn’t end shoplifting. But it would make it harder for opportunistic shoplifters to get away with it — and at very little cost.

There is one possible drawback: if the big retail chains embrace this approach and smaller independent shops don’t, offenders might simply shift their focus to those smaller businesses. That’s why the police should be encouraged to prioritise supporting independent retailers, giving them quicker response times and perhaps even deploying dedicated Specials who focus on small-shop protection. By balancing resources in this way, we can ensure that the policy strengthens retail security across the board, not just for the big names.

This is the kind of unglamorous, commonsense idea that usually dies a quiet death in Whitehall. But if Ministers are serious about tackling the shoplifting epidemic — rather than just shaking their heads on the evening news — they should dust it off.

Over to you, Ministers.