Shop theft

[Good shot?]

Was coming out of B&M this afternoon when a woman shop assistant ran 20 yards out of the shop to apprehend a couple who had just left the shop. The assistant held open the young womans bag and proceeded to take out 6 or more packs of frozen meat, chops etc saying come on take the rest out when another assistant came   The woman looked quite unperterbed. Along with the chap with her.

The theft must not have amounted to the required ££ level as 5 minutes later both her and her mate were going into their car totally free to carry on their actions in future.

It was only later that I remembered the same woman in the card shop prior to going into B&M, was next to us and grabbing several cards without a thought for any inscription inside! Now I know why.

I also now believe shop theft must now be increasing exponentially with this incentive.

 

[Dougy]

I was in John Menzies ages ago and watched 2 kids fill their pockets with sweets, raised this with a shop assistant and they dont do anything. 

Worked in Sainsburys for a short period, someone picked up a microwave from Cookshop or whatever it was called and walked out with it. 

This was years ago, compared to stuff today it was very petty theft todays its costing all of us thousands. Problem is there's no deterrent at all. 

Keep allowing immigrant's inte country who's life skills are stealing from other's its not going to get any better. 

[Bigbob]

I was working in security for the University while covid was on and as the shops where shut and the junkies couldn't steal from them to get there fix they turned there action to stealing all the bikes they could from the university and selling them on ebay , They even stole the just go bikes but returned them when they found out the company had trackers fitted in the frames . We had a empty cottage at the edge of the university and all the stolen bikes where found in that garage in the garden  they where stealing them advertising them on ebay and once sold came back to pick them up so they weren't caught with them 

[Sweet11-87]

worked in retail years ago while at college,  and its unreal and will shock you both the level it happens and the level of which nobody cares. We were actively told we would face disciplinary measures  if we attempted or aided in the apprehension of thieves

basically don't try to stop someone because why get hurt for something that's insured, the company i worked for actively stocked and budgeted for it, anything that wasn't accounted for on the stock take every 6 months or year was put down to theft,damage or defect and they just claimed it all back. called it shrinkage and adjust the stock levels and im talking like 10-20%

we were on a retail park and we had known faces, knew them by name, police knew them, the whole retail park did and wed joke on the radio with another shop that so and so was kicking about and wed just watch them fill the pockets on cctv.

seriously when it comes to theft from retail shops as-long as its not a break in, violent or armed robbery its seen and treated as par for the course.

thieves know all this and allot more.

[bruno22rf]

Situation is only going to get worse - Hertfordshire constabulary have just revealed that their arrests per burglary rate is 2.5% which roughly means one person is arrested for every 48 houses that are broken in to, maybe spending less money/resources on catching/prosecuting car drivers doing 32 in a 30 might help?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

56 minutes ago, bruno22rf said:

Situation is only going to get worse - Hertfordshire constabulary have just revealed that their arrests per burglary rate is 2.5% which roughly means one person is arrested for every 48 houses that are broken in to, maybe spending less money/resources on catching/prosecuting car drivers doing 32 in a 30 might help?

May as well bin the police and save the money if they do nothing.

[Westley]

1 hour ago, bruno22rf said:

Situation is only going to get worse - Hertfordshire constabulary have just revealed that their arrests per burglary rate is 2.5% which roughly means one person is arrested for every 48 houses that are broken in to, maybe spending less money/resources on catching/prosecuting car drivers doing 32 in a 30 might help?

That is just the burglary rate though. How many have been charged with handling stolen property  ?  Unless a burglar is caught on or near the scene, proving the burglary is almost impossible, unless forensics come up trumps. Far easier to hound those poor innocent motorists. Perhaps the burglars only took a few items  ?

Edited March 5 by Westley

[Minky]

Last year one of the son in laws was in a Tesco and a couple of caravan club members came up to the chilled meat joint department and proceeded to to fill the large family sized trolley randomly with joints,  the thing that caught his attention was the fact that they weren't looking at the weight or price or whether the meat was beef, lamb, pork or cornflakes.   There was no other types of grocery, just a BIG trolley of meat.  They just walked out of the door.  He informed staff members and 5hey went out to confront the  members.   They got in the motor and drove off.  Leaving the  loaded trolley out in the car park.! The trolley was so heavily loaded that it took several staff  to drag it back in.  I was in another Tesco and there were a couple of youts of the membership wandering around the store helping themselves to stuff, eating and dumping the wrapers on the shelves, trying on jackets etc,etc.  I  wonder how much would be saved if NO customers were allowed in at all and all sales were via online only and available via picked up parcels or semi subsidised delivery.... (I did struggle to not write... via Hilux pickup.) Edit... I was in the Tesco today and I see that the input aisle is one way electric barrier so you HAVE to exit via the self serve or the checkout tills. Therefore you can't walk out with trolley fulls. That doesn't stop filling the kids up with cans of pop and stuff on the way round. Etc,Etc.

Edited March 5 by Minky

[London Best]

First offence.......little finger off. 
Second offence........hand off. 
Third offence...........you are obviously a hopeless case, head off.

Problem solved.

I would vote for that.

[Westley]

44 minutes ago, London Best said:

First offence.......little finger off. 
Second offence........hand off. 
Third offence...........you are obviously a hopeless case, head off.

Problem solved.

I would vote for that.

BUT, what happens if you should win your appeal   ?   😆

Edited March 5 by Westley

[Sweet11-87]

sadly over the last 30 years the police have been neutered due to reforms, red tape and internal scapegoating. so now were at a stage that they hold very little presence or power. a camera phone at every incident means that anything done not by the book is a career ender.

 in London after the recent incidents. after usually having around 150 applicants for firearms training/duties  even after opening it up to officers still in probation the met had 6 applications. 

no power, understaffed, organization doesn't and wont have your back. public opinion at all time low. whod be a copper on 2024? id certainly not be.

 

[clangerman]

we should be asking why the stores are robbing us all blind everyday before worrying about shoplifting! 

[Good shot?]

Believe me when I say I personally am not worried about the stores and certainly not their profit levels being lessened by this illegal ? activity.

[shaun4860]

I don’t see why the police should be blamed for this?

Its the stores that don’t want to prosecute.

[JohnfromUK]

8 hours ago, Minky said:

and a couple of caravan club members

A large problem around here;

Groceries, meals (pubs and restaurants), fuel .......... basically anything they want ..........

For reasons I don't really understand , it seems that prosecution is largely ineffective (i.e. can't get convictions), so seldom done.  Being able to elect to have jury trial (rather than magistrate) and having alibis provided by other similar folk is possibly one reason.  An alibi, however doubtful seems to give the jury 'reasonable doubt.  Lying on oath and the worry of 'threats' is another.

The whole subject was raised at a local public meeting with the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).  I was unable to attend, but someone I know who did said that the PCC was only interested in telling people how well he thought they ("his force") were doing, and 'couldn't talk about specific issues'.  I assume worried about being accused of picking on minorities.

Same applies on local authority planning matters, where rules are totally ignored and nothing done.

5 hours ago, shaun4860 said:

Its the stores that don’t want to prosecute.

Threats can be a reason for that.

[Westley]

2 hours ago, JohnfromUK said:

A large problem around here;

Groceries, meals (pubs and restaurants), fuel .......... basically anything they want ..........

For reasons I don't really understand , it seems that prosecution is largely ineffective (i.e. can't get convictions), so seldom done.  Being able to elect to have jury trial (rather than magistrate) and having alibis provided by other similar folk is possibly one reason.  An alibi, however doubtful seems to give the jury 'reasonable doubt.  Lying on oath and the worry of 'threats' is another.

The whole subject was raised at a local public meeting with the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).  I was unable to attend, but someone I know who did said that the PCC was only interested in telling people how well he thought they ("his force") were doing, and 'couldn't talk about specific issues'.  I assume worried about being accused of picking on minorities.

Same applies on local authority planning matters, where rules are totally ignored and nothing done.

Threats can be a reason for that.

I think it is more to do with the cost of continuing with a prosecution. Each time the incident goes to Court, there could be several members of shop staff attending to give evidence. The court appearances can multiply several times, with Solicitors stretching things out, adjournment after adjournment. On each occasion all the witnesses will be in attendance, they will all be claiming expenses and will rightly expect their employer to pay for their time. It costs the shop more money to carry through a prosecution, rather than attempt to recover the stolen property and leave it at that. Of course trying to recover the stolen goods,  can lead to staff being assaulted too. Hence the 'just let them go' attitude. 

[JohnfromUK]

32 minutes ago, Westley said:

I think it is more to do with the cost of continuing with a prosecution.

It may be. 

Underlying all this is the fact that there is a growing resentment that a small (and very well known) minority are causing the vast majority of much of the 'property crime' and local bylaw violations (planning, dog attacks, trespass, fly tipping etc.) and are apparently able to avoid any prosecution or penalty - and are largely seen to be 'tolerated' by police because 'it's all to hard to deal with, so let's just pretend it doesn't happen'.

It is a very serious issue because resentment is very widespread and views are strongly held.

Edited March 6 by JohnfromUK

[Dave at kelton]

My son was until recently an area manager at Poundland. He said the problem is the associated violence. His attitude was items can be replaced but his staff can’t. He would sooner somebody walked out with stuff than a member chased them out of the shop to be stabbed!

He was constantly dealing with staff being threatened or worse

[Vince Green]

3 hours ago, JohnfromUK said:

A large problem around here;

Groceries, meals (pubs and restaurants), fuel .......... basically anything they want ..........

For reasons I don't really understand , it seems that prosecution is largely ineffective (i.e. can't get convictions), so seldom done.  Being able to elect to have jury trial (rather than magistrate) and having alibis provided by other similar folk is possibly one reason.  An alibi, however doubtful seems to give the jury 'reasonable doubt.  Lying on oath and the worry of 'threats' is another.

The whole subject was raised at a local public meeting with the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).  I was unable to attend, but someone I know who did said that the PCC was only interested in telling people how well he thought they ("his force") were doing, and 'couldn't talk about specific issues'.  I assume worried about being accused of picking on minorities.

Same applies on local authority planning matters, where rules are totally ignored and nothing done.

Threats can be a reason for that.

There is no point in trying to prosecute the bulk of shop lifters. They are mostly from the "floating poor' with no permanent address, shared accommodation, cash in hand landlords, sofa surfers etc.

They don't turn up in court, don't pay their fines and the courts don't have the time or resources to track them down.

If they are asylum seekers they are virtually immune from prosecution anyway because they will already have been allocated an immigration solicitor and the CPS won't want to waste money pursuing a case this small against a solicitor they know will raise all sorts of expensive delaying tactics.

[Westley]

49 minutes ago, Dave at kelton said:

My son was until recently an area manager at Poundland. He said the problem is the associated violence. His attitude was items can be replaced but his staff can’t. He would sooner somebody walked out with stuff than a member chased them out of the shop to be stabbed!

He was constantly dealing with staff being threatened or worse

I can vouch for that, I went to the assistance of a member of staff being attacked in Morrisons.  Although she was uninjured and we recovered over £300 of booze, I got stuck in the hand with a hyperdermic needle. It was 6 months of blood tests and hospital visits before I got the 'all clear'. I was 72 at the time. Would I do the same again......... probably, I hate to see these people getting away with their crimes  ?

[Mice!]

1 hour ago, Dave at kelton said:

My son was until recently an area manager at Poundland. He said the problem is the associated violence. His attitude was items can be replaced but his staff can’t. He would sooner somebody walked out with stuff than a member chased them out of the shop to be stabbed!

He was constantly dealing with staff being threatened or worse

I can understand that, why get assaulted for cheap stuff?

Tesco near us has a single security guard,  but I've never seen them do anything. 

I did see someone take a bag of stuff and walk straight out of B&M last year, a member of staff followed them out and challenged them, the fella, a white middle aged bloke just completely ignored him and got in his car, the shop worker just took pictures on his phone and went back into the store.

2 hours ago, Westley said:

I think it is more to do with the cost of continuing with a prosecution. Each time the incident goes to Court, there could be several members of shop staff attending to give evidence. The court appearances can multiply several times, with Solicitors stretching things out, adjournment after adjournment. On each occasion all the witnesses will be in attendance, they will all be claiming expenses and will rightly expect their employer to pay for their time. It costs the shop more money to carry through a prosecution, rather than attempt to recover the stolen property and leave it at that. Of course trying to recover the stolen goods,  can lead to staff being assaulted too. Hence the 'just let them go' attitude. 

That's understandable,  but it still stinks.

[Poor Shot]

11 minutes ago, Westley said:

I got stuck in the hand with a hyperdermic needle.

What came of the offender? 

To attack someone else with a hyperdermic needle should be no less than an attempted murder charge regardless of the end result. 

There is a rising scum class in the UK who care for no one, are afraid of nothing and have nothing to lose. They are effectively living in a lawless society as in most cases, a prison sentence is much preferable to their current position. They are fit only to be made into dog food or fertiliser. 

[JohnfromUK]

15 minutes ago, Mice! said:

Tesco near us has a single security guard,  but I've never seen them do anything. 

Our local Morrisons, they are bad at erasing security tags.  I have had the alarm go off as I have left on more than one occasion.  Security guard comes and checks goods and against receipt, apologies and jokes about how often that happens.  Nice bloke and I don't mind helping at all, but it does seem a rather regular occurrence as I have seen similar happen to others.  It's usually meat (e.g. a steak) as booze has a removeable top clamp thing, whereas meat has a tag they 'erase' I think?

[Mice!]

20 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

have had the alarm go off

But if you're not a thief you'd just go back to a checkout anyway 🙄

[JohnfromUK]

4 minutes ago, Mice! said:

But if you're not a thief you'd just go back to a checkout anyway 🙄

Guard stands right by the door scanner/alarms - and as I say - he's a nice friendly bloke, so easily resolved.  Never seen him catch anyone who he had 'trouble' with.