Yvette Cooper comments on the government’s shoplifting summit today

Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on the government’s shoplifting summit today, said:

"The Tories have allowed shoplifting to reach a record high and yet they are still failing to put neighbourhood police back into our town centres or come up with a comprehensive plan. Today's announcements are too little, too late.

"The Conservatives have let the gangs fuelling this crime to take hold in our towns and high streets, while bringing in laws that make it harder to take action on shoplifting and cutting 10,000 neighbourhood police from the streets. So dire is the situation that the policing minister last month called for shoppers to do citizens arrests instead as there aren’t enough police.

"Labour will scrap the £200 rule which stops shoplifting being investigated, put guaranteed neighbourhood patrols back into town centres with 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs and bring in stronger laws against assaults on shopworkers."

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Notes:

Report: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/zero-tolerance-plan-to-crack-down-on-shoplifters-9phvk27nr