Three counties in southeastern Pennsylvania were among those with the highest percentages in the state for retail theft charges filed from 2020 to 2024.
Montgomery County had about 10% of the total retail theft charges filed during that period, according to data released by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.
Delaware County had about 5% of the state total during that time, and Chester County had about 4.2%.
Court officials said retail theft offenses in the state increased by 16% from 38,530 in 2023 to 44,694 in 2024, hitting a five-year high.
The top counties in the state:
• Allegheny: 21,252 charges; 12.62% of state total
• Montgomery: 16,507; 9.8%
• Philadelphia: 11,266; 6.69%
• Bucks: 9,754; 5.79%
• Delaware: 8,702; 5.17%
• Chester: 6,388; 3.79%
• Lancaster: 6,001; 3.56%
• Cumberland: 5,386; 3.2%
• York: 5,697; 3.38%
Forest and Sullivan counties had the fewest number of charges filed with nine each, representing 0.01% of the state total.
A breakdown for counties in the region by year:
• Berks: 774 charges in 2020; 700 in 2021; 1,016 in 2022; 1,248 in 2023; 1,239 in 2024; total, 4,977; 2.96% of state total.
• Chester: 962 in 2020; 1,129 in 2021; 1,214 in 2022; 1,715 in 2023; 1,368 in 2024; total, 6,388; 3.79%
• Delaware: 1,303 in 2020; 1,449 in 2021; 1,915 in 2022; 1,912 in 2023; 2,123 in 2024; total, 8,702; 5.17%
• Montgomery: 1,835 in 2020; 2,057 in 2021; 3,510 in 2022; 4,365 in 2023; 4,740 in 2024; total, 16,507; 9.8%
Court officials noted that 51% of the defendants are male, and the largest percentage of defendants — 29% — are in the 26- to 35-year-old range.
