The chief constable of Norfolk Police has urged the government to introduce faster and tougher punishments for repeat shoplifters, warning that the current system is failing to deter persistent offenders.
Paul Sanford said shoplifting remains one of the few crimes in Norfolk that continues to rise, and expressed frustration at delays in the courts. Speaking on BBC Radio Norfolk, he said: “There’s big delays in our court system and I will share my frustration that sometimes I don’t think these persistent offenders are getting the deterrent sentence they need. We do have a problem with repeat offenders coming back to stores time and time again and we do need some concerted effort to tackle them and stop their offending.”
Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that 6,382 shoplifting offences were reported to Norfolk Police in the 12 months to June 2025, up from 5,211 the previous year. Sanford highlighted several prolific offenders, including a man who admitted 23 counts of shoplifting, a woman in Breckland arrested 43 times since 2022, and a Norwich offender arrested 25 times in the past 20 months. “We’re catching them, we need the rest of the system to catch up,” he said.
Sanford stressed that the government’s ongoing sentencing review was “critically important,” noting that chronic court backlogs were undermining efforts to curb repeat offending. “When theft is accompanied by violence, threats or intimidation, we will come down hard,” he added. “But we need the court system to move faster.”
Norfolk Police have increasingly relied on CCTV and facial recognition technology to identify suspects. For the most persistent offenders, the force has sought criminal behaviour orders, which allow courts to bar individuals from specific town centres or retail areas. Sanford also cited the resale of stolen goods, including bulk supermarket thefts, as a key driver of repeat offending.
Retailers have reported sustained losses due to shoplifting, with staff often facing abuse and intimidation. Sanford said he had the “utmost sympathy” for shop workers dealing with persistent offenders. Norfolk Police has advised shops to strengthen security, maintain a visible staff presence, map theft hotspots, train employees to spot suspicious behaviour, and keep store floors tidy to reduce opportunities for theft.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said reforms are under way to speed up justice and strengthen community-based penalties. “We now have new laws giving tougher community restrictions, including the biggest ever expansion in tagging and the use of restriction zones,” the spokesperson said. Investment and procedural reforms are also being introduced to modernise courts and improve efficiency.
For Norfolk Police, the message is clear: without swifter sentencing and stronger deterrents, repeat shoplifting is likely to remain a growing challenge on the High Street.
