By james art 
New figures show that more than 7,000 crimes were committed in the region last year, but only around 1,500 led to prosecutions.
Durham Police have recorded an alarming 23,771 shoplifting incidents since April 2021.
Violations peaked between April 2023-24, with 7,142 incidents recorded. However, only 1,657 offenses resulted in a charge or summons, according to figures obtained by Personal Injury Claims UK.
In some cases, offenders were warned and given penalty notices. Others were resolved by community decision.
It comes amid Durham Police’s crackdown on shoplifting through increased CCTV and security measures. Dozens of businesses in Darlington have signed up to the police’s ShopWatch scheme, which provides shops with radios and phones so they can quickly share information about suspicious activity with police.
One Darlington business owner praised the success of the scheme, saying it was helping them catch shoplifters early and more often. “Shoplifting in Darlington is horrendous and it’s putting people’s jobs at risk and shops are closing because of it,” said staff at MaxiDeals in the town centre.
Still, other retailers say more needs to be done to tackle repeat thieves.
Durham Police said the fallout from the crime meant everyday shoppers were paying more for food and drink.
“Retail crimes are far from victimless crimes; it hurts businesses who have to contend with higher costs and loss of stock, resulting in higher prices for us all,” a spokesman said.
“We work closely with businesses and support the ShopWatch schemes which operate in several towns across our force area. This is an excellent initiative that allows businesses to quickly share information about active offenders in their area, stopping potential shoplifters and has proven time and time again to be a great tool.”
However, the force stressed the need to find out why people carry out shoplifting.
The spokesman added: “As a force it is also important that we look at the bigger picture and seek to understand why people offend in the first place and aim to tackle the root causes of offending.
“Officers and staff from Durham Police’s Integrated Offender Management Unit work with offenders once they have been released from prison and aim to help break their cycle of offending by offering addiction and mental health help and support .
“Prevention and rehabilitation play a key factor in reducing these types of crime, but we simply cannot fight them alone.
“You can report shoplifting by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.”