In 2025, shoplifting arrests in Boston rose by 261% compared to the five-year average.
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This year, law enforcement officials in Boston put a greater emphasis on retail theft enforcement, leading to a dramatic increase in the number of shoplifting arrests. But as officials tout those year-end statistics, a City Council member is publicly calling for the police to step up enforcement efforts even more.
In 2025, shoplifting arrests were up 261% compared to the five-year average, officials said at a community meeting focused entirely on retail theft that was held at the beginning of December. There was a 113% increase in overall retail theft arrests this year compared to last, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said at a press conference last week…