National Acquisitive Crime Conference 2026: Tackling Retail, Tool and Vehicle Crime

The National Acquisitive Crime Conference 2026 took place over two days, 7–8 July, at the De Vere Latimer Estate in Buckinghamshire, bringing together police forces, retailers, local authorities and industry partners to address the UK's most pressing acquisitive crime challenges. Free to attend, the conference was opened and closed each day by Ian Dyson CBE QPM DL, former Commissioner of the City of London Police, with a welcome from James Brown, Managing Director of Selectamark, on both days. Day One, headlined by SelectaDNA, focused on retail, tool and vehicle crime.

Sharing best practice in UK crime prevention 

Acquisitive crime remains a significant, and in places worsening, problem across the UK. Retailers recorded over 20 million incidents of customer theft in 2025 – equivalent to 55,000 a day, up from 16 million the year before – with the total cost of retail crime, including prevention measures, reaching £4.2 billion, according to the British Retail Consortium's Crime and Shrink Benchmark 2025. Violence and abuse against retail staff rose more than 50% year-on-year and 340% since 2020, with retailers now spending a record £1.8 billion annually on crime prevention. 

Vehicle-related theft remains a substantial burden despite recent improvement: ONS figures for the year ending December 2025 recorded around 596,000 vehicle-related theft incidents, a 14% fall on the previous year. Tool theft moved in the opposite direction, with police recording 30,848 offences in 2025, a 16% year-on-year rise, and losses valued at almost £19 million; broader industry estimates put the true cost to tradespeople, once lost earnings and business disruption are included, as high as £98.9 million. 

Against this backdrop, the conference gives policing, retailers and industry a rare chance to compare what is and isn't working – from force-led operations to national partnerships – and to recognise, through the accompanying awards, the individuals and teams translating that work into measurable results. 

What was covered at the National Acquisitive Crime Conference 2026 

Day One opened with a keynote from ACC Christian Bunt of Thames Valley Police, followed by sessions on tackling retail crime from Katy Bourne OBE, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, and on Operation Zoridon from Chief Inspector Rav Pathania of the Metropolitan Police. A retail crime panel brought together Chief Inspector Stewart Codling (Thames Valley Police), Jon Ellis (Tesco), Inspector Emma Wright (Police Scotland) and Mohammed Qazi (Safer Business Network). 

The afternoon turned to organised tool theft, with Jim Taylor, Head of Unit at Opal, speaking on serious organised acquisitive crime, and Sergeant Dave Catlow of the Metropolitan Police presenting on disrupting organised tool theft. A tool theft panel featured Andrew Brown (Dalkia HPC Operations), Carl Abraitis (VP plc), Jeff Taylor (Openreach) and Shoaib Awan (Trades United). Further sessions covered vehicle crime investigation with the Metropolitan Police's Organised Vehicle Crime Unit, the destinations of stolen goods with Professor Emmeline Taylor of the University of London, Durham Constabulary's Operation Wicker, and tackling football-related disorder with SelectaDNA defence sprays.  

The day closed with the National Acquisitive Crime Awards gala dinner, recognising the individuals, teams and partnerships driving this work forward – see the full list of winners and runners-up. 

Day Two, headlined by BikeRegister, shifted focus to cycle crime, with sessions from forces including North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Northumbria Police, alongside local authorities and industry partners working to reduce cycle theft and improve community safety. 

Looking ahead to next year’s conference 

With retail and tool theft both continuing to rise, the conversations started at this year's conference will only become more important. Selectamark looks forward to bringing policing and industry back together for the National Acquisitive Crime Conference 2027, continuing to build on the partnerships and progress showcased this year.