Shoplifting remains an under reported crime, according to police, even though the number of reports has risen in recent years.
Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez said the force had the lowest shoplifting crime rate in the country for years because of significant under reporting of incidents.
Ch Supt Antony Hart said that despite a "really big uptick in the volume of reports over the last five years or so" the crime is often not reported. Some pubs and restaurants may choose to appeal on social media instead, a course of action the police advises against.
He added: "It's really important because… if we don't know about them we're unable to investigate them."
Hernandez said theft made up a "major part" of her latest police and crime plan when she was elected in 2024. Investments had been made in business crime reporting tools.
"I've put money in to support the force, to be able to help businesses simply and easily upload all of their CCTV, all of their information and data to actually put a package together basically for the police to make it easier for them to act on these instances," she said.
"The police can't do this on their own, they work very closely with local authorities but when businesses step up it's an absolute game changer," she added.
In an interview with BBC Radio Cornwall, she said her biggest concern currently was the government's sentencing review. It would release thousands of offenders in England and Wales well before the end of their sentences in an attempt to make space in prisons.
Sentences of 12 months or less would be suspended under the plans.
"Even prolific shoplifters generally will get a sentence less than 12 months," she said.
"This means that we're not going to be able to give respite to the communities."
She added: "I'm worried that it will be down to the police yet again to manage those individuals in our community because they can't take them off the street."
The Ministry of Justice has previously said the measures would not abolish short sentences and would "make sure prisons never run out of space again, while strengthening the supervision of the most dangerous offenders".
Hart said: "Wherever we can, we'll pursue an investigation and the offender and seek a criminal justice outcome.
"Where there is a real need and an offender is found to have a vulnerability we will always refer them to a partner agency," he said.
Hart added there was a Business Crime Reduction Partnership covering Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
He said: "The police and crime commissioner has initially funded the implementation of UK Partners Against Crime and its computer system allows businesses to speak to each other as well as local policing teams.
"That local conversation becomes really important so that businesses understand who may be committing crime in their vicinity and they share that information with police."
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Devon and Cornwall PCC Says Shoplifting Still Under Reported