Shoplifting has reached ‘epidemic’ levels in Truro, with traders estimating that up to £1m worth of items have been stolen from shops in the city over a year. 

One shop owner believes the spate of thefts is feeding into more serious crime, and is critical of the policing of what has become a major issue in the city.

We have been told that at least one major store has lost around £170,000 of goods in a year, and it is suspected that over £1m in total has been stolen from shops across the city centre in the same time period.

Shoplifting has become so serious in Cornwall’s busiest retail area that it was raised at a meeting of Truro City Council last month. Our investigation suggested that most shop owners have fallen victim, and those that haven’t all know others who have.

One shopkeeper, who preferred not to be named, said he had even experienced people stealing from a well-known store on the opposite side of the road, crossing over and trying to sell the “hot” items to him minutes after stealing them. Others said the thefts have become more professional, with shoplifters coming in with tag cutters.

A clothes retailer had been targeted the morning before we visited, with a thief striking almost as soon as the shop opened its doors, swiping an expensive leather bag from a window display.

Martin Gaunt, part-owner of quirky gift shop Happy Piranha in Pydar Street – which has been particularly active in reporting shoplifting – aired his concerns about what he calls an “epidemic” with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper when she visited Truro just before the General Election.

“Shoplifting is an artery feeding the worst criminals you’re likely to ever encounter. It feeds the drug dealer and enslaves the addict. It feeds into organised crime, and we have had direct experience of that,” he told me.

One young woman caught stealing from Happy Piranha was visibly upset, and was calmed down by staff who gave her a cup of tea. “She was being run by a county lines drug dealer, who was able to earn from her because she was able to steal almost with impunity - very little ever seems to happen,” said Mr Gaunt.

Shoplifters caught in his shop have been hiding items they’ve stolen from a range of other stores in Truro. “I’ve stopped people who have had more than £1,000 worth of stuff from across eight or nine shops, and nothing constructively has been done about it,” he said. 

“One woman who collected so much stuff she had a trolley because she couldn’t carry it all and when she was running away she was dropping it everywhere.”

Mr Gaunt said that at one point, Happy Piranha was hit by a spate of thefts where five out of six of the perpetrators were carrying weapons. However, he sees fewer shoplifters now because “the repeat shoplifters know we’ll create a fuss, and even if the legal system does not always back us up, the offenders don’t want the hassle of someone standing their ground”. 

Mr Gaunt, whose family also run the neighbouring Garden Geeks, Piranha Pop Up and a forthcoming games café in the former Edinburgh Woollen Mill building, is critical about the policing of what has become a major issue in Truro.

“As a retailer, I’m so fed up with being told ‘we’ve got more important things to be dealing with’,” he said.

“The police need to properly engage with the community - and I do not mean erect a gazebo and hand out a few leaflets. It’s time to be genuinely proactive, not just tick boxes.

“I want to support my local police officers but I cannot support the lack of direction they are given. The police have, for the best part, left our high street. We employ private security that do not have the same powers/resources. There is a gap that we need to have grown-up honest discussions about bridging.”

He said: “It took me the best part of three years to secure a meeting with our local inspector and that only came about after contacting our MP, the Police and Crime Commissioner and a Chief Inspector. The meeting was eventually taken out of obligation but not before a ‘no show’ – he simply forgot. At the eventual meeting he continued to question my right to use civil arrest for shoplifting.

“I asked if we could work on a ‘community toolbox’. Something to provide retailers with an idea of what support the community could expect. I have been asking for the same thing for years. He did say that we would ask someone to look into that. Of course nothing has happened since.”

Mr Gaunt has written to the Home Office with concerns about the policing of shoplifting and if he has the right to carry out a civil arrest. It verified he could. He also wrote to the acting Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police in May. He has still not heard back.

He added: “Everything that is stolen from me has to go on the price of the product you end up buying. That affects inflation, which affects your mortgage costs. A lot of people will think taking £20 from a shop is a business crime with no victim. It’s not. It affects all the way up the chain. It’s a vicious circle because the poverty that’s created then creates more crime.”

Devon and Cornwall Police neighbourhood team leader Sergeant Dave Pearce responded to Mr Gaunt’s comments. He said: “There has been a national increase in shoplifting reports and this includes Truro City centre. 

“Officers from Truro have encouraged shop owners to report incidents via various different routes including the DISC system, 101, online, Crimestoppers and also 999 in an emergency. This is to give a true reflection of volume of crime occurring and to also assist police, ASB team and Truro rangers with targeting those involved in committing offences in the area.

“We cannot comment on individual shops or premises at this time. Devon and Cornwall Police Crime prevention teams have worked with local businesses to offer support and advice in reducing crime, working with Truro Neighbourhood team with targeted days of action.”

Sgt Pearce added: “Each incident will be dealt with by assessing the individual circumstances of the report and the person involved. A THRIVE assessment will also be applied to the report looking at the immediate threat, risk and harm of the ongoing incident and a grading added by the assessing operator.

“If there is no immediate threat, the incident will be recorded and assessed by the crime management investigation team. The victim will be contacted and evidence gathered and the report progressed. If there is an immediate risk officers will be dispatched to the incident.

“We are committed to diverting offenders away from the criminal justice system and reduce the risk of them being involved in criminal activity. Officers will assess the disposal options available to them and will engage with the victim to keep them fully informed of the likely outcome for the investigation. We are committed to tackling the concerns raised by local businesses to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour in our community.”

We asked Alun Jones, manager of Truro BID – the commercial organisation which traders pay into to fund retail projects and promotion – about shoplifting in the city.

He said: “Sadly all towns and cities across the country always have experienced varying degrees of theft and, yes, since Covid we along with many other town centres have seen an increase of shoplifting. Alcohol is a common category of item to be stolen and sometimes will be a contributing factor to any antisocial behaviour seen on the streets.

“In Truro we have for many years had an active business community that works well together to help reduce shoplifting and antisocial behaviour. This includes a core number of businesses that meet in person on a regular basis with each other and local partnership members including the police and local authority community safety team.

“We also have a radio link system and crime reporting app that assists businesses to report crime in a timely manner and helps to identify offenders and share intelligence.”

On the policing of thefts, he added: “Along with additional Government-funded police and rangers patrol shifts this year, we continue to encourage all businesses to report all thefts that they experience to the police in order for the losses to be investigated.

“Truro rangers continue to conduct highly visible foot patrols around Truro city centre, engaging with and reporting where applicable any individuals who may be committing a crime. The rangers are a great asset working between the businesses and the local partnership members. Providing a physical reassurance to the high street businesses who actually fund their role and providing the police with local intelligence and information.”

Mr Jones said businesses will vary in their own stock loss levels and have their own internal protocols to deal with shoplifting. He added: “However, generally speaking we encourage all stores to put colleague safety first, try to deter a theft from happening by not allowing would-be thieves to be invisible, approach and offer assistance where confident to do so, use their radio and reporting crime app to highlight the description and location of any alleged offender and where applicable call or report to the police/rangers.”

He believes that with the current additional police and rangers’ foot patrols in place, Truro will see a general reduction in crime that affects the public and shops. “We encourage businesses to continue engaging with each other for support and also encourage our customers to continue shopping in person on the high street as Cornwall continues to be very safe place to live and work,” he said.