Shoplifting incidents in Dumbarton have risen by 57% over the last decade, from 573 cases in 2016/17 to 901 in 2025/26, according to Scottish Government data. Retail staff have also reported a 10% increase in assaults over the past year.
MSP Calls for Rethink on Sentencing Proposals
The surge has prompted Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie to criticise Scottish Government plans that would see shorter prison sentences scrapped. The proposals, part of a consultation on reducing overcrowding, would encourage judges to avoid custodial sentences under two years and release prisoners after two-thirds of a sentence under five years, including some sexual offence and domestic abuse cases with tighter supervision.
Baillie said: "It is clear that our communities are being heavily impacted by rising crime rates. Retail crime is running riot and that has been confirmed by retail staff in my own constituency, who are facing constant threats, harassment and intimidation from thieves as they go about their work."
Police Resourcing Under Fire
Baillie added: "Police Scotland's pool of frontline officers has been stripped to the bone by the Scottish Government, leaving communities exposed. These latest proposals for changes to the justice system will do nothing to dispel those fears or tackle the experiences of the retail workers." She has written to Scottish Government chiefs and urged Justice Secretary Neil Gray to reconsider.
Government Response
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "While recorded crime across Scotland is down almost half from its peak in 1991, we are concerned by the rise in retail crime – part of a pattern seen across the UK – and recognise the harm it causes. That is why we are providing an additional £3million annually until 2028-29 for Police Scotland to support the work of the Retail Crime Taskforce. The taskforce is delivering real results, targeting repeat offenders and using data and intelligence to drive enforcement in the most affected areas. In its first year, it resulted in over 6,400 charges."
The spokesperson also noted that Scotland continues to have more police officers per capita than England and Wales, with record investment of over £1.7billion in 2026-27 to maintain officer numbers at 16,500.
