Should police be more lenient with shoplifters during the current economic crisis?

The new HM chief inspector of constabulary, Andy Cooke, says police should use their discretion over desperate shoplifters

Police should use “discretion” when deciding whether to prosecute desperate shoplifters amid rising poverty levels, according to the new HM chief inspector of constabulary.

Andy Cooke has said this week that petty crime fuelled by the cost-of-living crisis would pose a challenge for policing, as inflation hit a 40-year high in April.

Mr Cooke said: “I think whenever you see an increase in the cost of living or whenever you see more people dropping into poverty, I think you’ll invariably see a rise in crime.

“And that’s going to be a challenge for policing to deal with.”

Police officers have been advised by the new HM chief inspector of constabulary Andy Cooke to use their ‘discretion’

Speaking about his advice for officers, Mr Cooke added: “What they’ve got to bear in mind is what is the best thing for the community, and that individual, in the way they deal with those issues.

“And I certainly fully support police officers using their discretion – and they need to use discretion more often.”

However, Kit Malthouse, a minister across the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, when asked if ministers will ensure police do not turn a blind eye to shoplifters stealing food, replied: “Absolutely right. In fact, I wrote to chief constables just a year or so ago saying they should not be ignoring those seemingly small crimes.”

Mr Cooke told The Guardian he was not “giving a carte blanche for people to go out shoplifting”, but wanted officers to ensure cases were “dealt with in the best way possible”.

Do you think the police should use their discretion more? Or do you believe that any leeway given to shoplifters will just encourage more people to turn to crime?