The government has launched a crackdown on around 500 of the most prolific shop thieves in England and Wales, with repeat offenders facing bans from high streets, GPS tagging and closer supervision by the courts.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the programme on 11 November 2026. Up to 17 police forces will take part in the 12-month pilot, each identifying around 30 repeat offenders in their area and working with probation services and other agencies on individual plans to stop them reoffending.

The measures could include Criminal Behaviour Orders banning offenders from the high streets and town centres they target, electronic tagging, and closer monitoring through Intensive Supervision Courts, where offenders attend more regular hearings before a judge. Police will also build stronger cases by combining evidence of multiple offences, and those who breach conditions could face jail.

Foreign offenders could be referred to Immigration Enforcement so action can be taken quickly, including deportation where appropriate. The programme will also address the causes of offending, such as drug and alcohol addiction, in an attempt to break the cycle of repeat theft.

Why the focus is on a small group of offenders

The Home Office said a small number of offenders commit a disproportionate amount of shop theft. According to the National Police Chiefs' Council, just 9% of offenders account for more than half of all retail crime convictions.

Mahmood said: "A small number of offenders commit a disproportionate amount of shop theft. They wreak havoc on our high streets, leave businesses out of pocket and make retail workers scared to go to work."

She added that shop theft was starting to fall and more offenders were being charged, but the new measures go further by targeting those causing the most harm to communities.

An initial £2.5 million in funding will be available to participating forces and local partners, tailored to what is needed in each area. The first forces invited to take part were chosen because of their high levels of retail crime or their previous work tackling the issue, and include West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police and the Metropolitan Police Service. Activity is due to start in stages early next year, with the aim of mobilising across all areas by spring 2027.

Bromley pilot cut retail crime by 70%

The government pointed to Operation Kelleher, a targeted crackdown in Bromley in 2025, as evidence that focusing on a small group of prolific offenders can work. The operation homed in on just 10 offenders, and recorded retail crime in the area fell by 70%, according to Metropolitan Police data. Some shops reported stock losses down by as much as 80%, with one retailer seeing weekly losses fall from £7,000 to £400.

Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for retail crime, welcomed the announcement. He said the programme aims to develop and test a more intensive, multi-agency approach to a small cohort of prolific offenders to reduce repeat offending, improve outcomes for retailers and communities, and provide an evidence base for future national policy.

Retail leaders also backed the move. British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said retailers welcomed the targeted programme and that combining robust enforcement with support to tackle the root causes could make a real difference to high streets and communities. Association of Convenience Stores chief executive Ed Woodall said the majority of theft from convenience stores is carried out by prolific offenders known to retailers, the local community and the police, and that the measures could make a big positive difference in the areas targeted.

Business robberies rose 67% in latest figures

The announcement follows the latest Office for National Statistics figures, published on 22 October, which showed a 67% increase in robberies from businesses such as convenience stores. Police recorded 31,089 business robberies in England and Wales in the year ending June 2026, up from around 18,600 the previous year.

Recorded shoplifting offences fell by 2% over the same period, from 530,336 to 519,516. The ONS said the rise in business robberies was partly due to changes in how police classify thefts involving violence or threats against shop workers. Under rules clarified in April 2025, these incidents are recorded as robberies rather than shoplifting, which may also explain some of the fall in recorded shop theft.

Separately, the National Police Chiefs' Council said its national organised retail crime intelligence unit, Opal, has identified 750 offenders linked to more than 10,000 offences since May 2024. Those offenders have been linked to £9.7 million in retailer losses, while investigations supported by the unit have resulted in 287 arrests and 221 court outcomes.