Police should use 'discretion' when deciding whether to prosecute desperate shoplifters amid the cost of living crisis, the new HM chief inspector of constabulary said.
Andy Cooke said that he expects to see a rise in petty crime amid rising poverty levels. Speaking to The Guardian, as inflation hit a 40-year high in April, he 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."
