Shoplifting incidents in the Highlands have risen sharply, prompting warnings from crime prevention partnership Retailers Against Crime (RAC) that the crime is “out of control”.
Figures from Police Scotland show 1,487 incidents were recorded in 2023–24, followed by 1,349 in 2024–25. The region’s five-year average is 919.
In Inverness, shoplifting rose by almost 13% year-on-year, with 680 incidents in 2024–25 compared to 603 in 2023–24. Fraud also increased, from 155 incidents to 168.
Police Scotland said the three-year average for shoplifting in the city was 423, and the five-year average was 408. The detection rate was 63% for shoplifting and 14% for fraud.
RAC said persistent offenders faced “little or no consequences”, and warned that small, family-run shops were at risk of closure.
Director Maxine Fraser told BBC Scotland News: “We work very closely with Police Scotland and we know that they do as much as they can – they will stop offenders and have them arrested. Then if or when it goes to court there are virtually no consequences. If someone is a prolific offender why on earth would they stop if nothing is going to happen to them.”
She said jail was not always the answer and called for more emphasis on rehabilitation and education, including teaching schoolchildren about the impact of shoplifting. Most incidents, she added, were linked to organised crime or resale, not the cost-of-living crisis.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said it gave “careful consideration” to all reports of alleged criminal conduct. A spokesperson said: “Prosecutorial action will be taken if the reports contain sufficient admissible evidence of a crime and if it is appropriate and in the public interest to do so.”
The Scottish government has provided Police Scotland with an additional £3m to tackle retail crime, as part of a £1.6bn investment in policing this year.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Police Scotland has established the Retail Crime Taskforce that is targeting affected areas to prevent crime and pursue those responsible. It is also working with retailers to identify ways in which they can enhance security and reduce incidents occurring.”
In the first 10 weeks since the taskforce was launched in March 2025, its three uniformed officers working in Edinburgh made 30 arrests, resulting in approximately 162 charges. A recent Day of Action in Glasgow (4 August) in collaboration with RAC saw 11 arrests.
