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Police reported that Polish shops have been experiencing a surge in shoplifting, with reported cases rising by more than 31 per cent in 2022, as per the Rzeczpospolita newspaper on Friday. country, with reported incidents increasing by more than 31 per cent in 2022, as per the Rzeczpospolita newspaper on Friday.
The national police headquarters reported that in 2022 thefts from shops increased by 31.1 per cent year-on-year, amounting to over 32,700 incidents.
Data from police headquarters across the provinces revealed that only Lublin experienced a decrease in crimes related to shoplifting. According to the daily, the number of offences rose by 21.5% to 234,300. It was noted that smaller establishments were disproportionately affected by this increase, with the number of shoplifting offences in large shops increasing by 20.8% and those in small shops rising by 24.6% to over 46,000.
Renata Juszkiewicz, president of the Polish Trade and Distribution Organisation, was quoted in the paper as saying that the increase in theft is an unmistakable indication of market issues; the increasing prices are prompting more individuals to opt for shoplifting. For stores, this is, of course, a massive challenge on top of the growth in operating costs.
Rzeczpospolita highlighted a new occurrence wherein products that were once not stolen in large quantities are now being taken. These items, “particularly food items,” were being taken due to people being pushed into stealing them, the paper reported.
The Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported that organised crime groups were largely responsible for the theft of luxury items like perfume, high-end liquor, and small electronic items.