The Highlands has experienced a 14% reduction in shoplifting offences during the nine months to December 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, according to a Police Perfomance Report presented to The Highland Council’s Communities and Place Committee last week.
The data recorded 871 shoplifting incidents between 1 April 2025 and 31 December 2025, compared to 1015 over the same time period the previous year. The latest figure falls well below the three year average of 1003.6 incidents, but above the five year average of 755.6.
Chief Superintendent Robert Shepherd, Divisional Commander for Highland and Islands, referred to the drop as a “signficant reduction”. He noted that the fall in shoplifting incidents coincided with the the launch of Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce, and also highlighted the work of operation Lambie within the Highland and Islands, which has involved the deployment of plain clothes and uniform officers and closer working relationships with retailers to combat retail crime.
