Quick Hit:

Shoplifting rates soared during the first half of 2024, outpacing other serious crimes which have returned to pre-pandemic levels, highlights a recent Council of Criminal Justice (CCJ) study.

Key Details:

• Surge in Shoplifting: Shoplifting has seen a significant 24% increase across 23 cities during the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
• Decline in Major Crimes: Other major crimes, including homicides and robberies, have declined, reaching or falling below the rates seen in 2019.
• Regional Variations: Cities like Chicago and Boston have experienced dramatic increases in shoplifting rates, with Chicago jumping from 14.8% in May 2020 to 41.4% in June 2024, and Boston from 11.9% to 42.2% in the same period.

Diving Deeper:

Shoplifting rates have spiked significantly in the first half of 2024, while other major crimes have decreased to pre-pandemic levels, according to a recent study by the Council of Criminal Justice (CCJ). The mid-year 2024 update from the CCJ revealed a 24% increase in shoplifting across 23 cities compared to the same period in 2023.

The CCJ study highlighted that, while shoplifting surged, other serious crimes, including homicides and robberies, saw significant declines. “Shoplifting is a theft by someone other than an employee of the victim of an item displayed for sale. After a notable decline in the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic … shoplifting dropped 15% from 2019 to 2020 and declined another 10% in 2021,” the report stated. Despite these decreases, the shoplifting rate for the first half of 2024 is now 10% higher than it was during the same timeframe in 2019.

Cities like Chicago and Boston experienced dramatic increases in shoplifting rates. In Chicago, the shoplifting rate jumped from 14.8% in May 2020 to a staggering 41.4% in June 2024. Similarly, Boston saw an increase from 11.9% in May 2020 to 42.2% in June 2024.

Conversely, the study found that other crimes have significantly decreased. In the first half of 2024, there were 2% fewer homicides and 15% fewer robberies compared to the first half of 2019. Domestic violence and aggravated assault rates also saw reductions. The average homicide rate was 2% lower in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2019, driven by substantial drops in traditionally high-crime cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and St. Louis. However, 19 out of 29 sample cities reported higher homicide rates in the first half of 2024 than in 2019.

The reasons behind these trends are not entirely clear. The study suggests that more investigation is needed to determine if the rise in shoplifting is due to increased activity or better reporting. As for the decline in homicide rates, scholars theorize that pandemic-related factors impacting daily activities, emotional and economic stress, changes in police practices, and public trust in law enforcement may all play a role.