AIBU to ask if shoplifting has effectively been decriminalised?

Gates to block exit without receipts, making doors smaller/only opening certain doors, not keeping expensive stock out front or on display, employing shop assistants to be actual shop assistants and advise on purchases instead of actively encouraging the free-for-all we have now.

Why don't the shops employ people to stop it?

Such as what? It’s not the staffs responsibility to follow/chase people and grab the stock back. No security guard anymore at my place haven’t had one since before Covid

I was once in a boots whilst it was being robbed. A guy walked in with a bag I could fit in and emptied into it most of the contents of the cosmetics aisle. It was the second time in a week that the store had need done. There was an announcement over the tanoy that they were on CCTV, the staff stayed behind the counter as the previous week when a staff member approached the thief they had been assaulted.
He then sauntered out as if he was another customer. He must had taken £1000+ worth of products

There are so many things shops can do to stop this. I don't understand why they aren't doing them.

I feel utterly stupid now, paying for stuff.

Police are too busy dealing with hurty words, as in the case of Lesbian Nanna.

I’m a former supermarket worker. Neither workers or security guards are to follow shoplifters out of the store-if you leave the store, you’re on your own-no support from the company and apparently no insurance. I used to work the late shift alone (very large store) from 10-midnight with no security, and people would walk out carrying televisions. I left them to it and recorded it for the morning.

Yeah its pretty much a free for all in the UK now. Anything goes, EFF the business owners, F honesty!

How do other countries deal with shoplifters? Or is it just as bad all over the world?

Our local Boots closed down because of the shoplifting.

They don’t weigh the scan and go stuff. I used it in Tesco once and they looked through my bags when I went to pay because it was the first time I had used it but you keep your bags in the trolley. I was shocked I didn’t have to get them out to be weighed and the assistant just shrugged when I asked how they know people haven’t stolen anything.

They need to have armed security guards that are permitted to use every means necessary to stop and detain shoplifters. Not in every store, just in random ones every day, so the shoplifters don't know. No decent, law-abiding person would have a problem with this, ignore the usual bleating of the "human rights" brigade.

I think that's why we're seeing more and more stuff locked up. They know they can't really stop it happening so they just lock away the most expensive stuff

The people producing the food, often already poorly paid abroad, would be paid even less.

Morality is a funny thing

Years and years ago when I was small there waere junkies that would sell like meat and laundry liquid to order. There were people who would buy the stuff, but also be very vocal and disapproving about how awful it was that the people stole it/that they got away with stealing/country going to the dogs etc. But they were participating by buying the stolen stuff... Strange

prefer people being able to walk out the shop without paying for their food over that. With every fibre of my being.

What do you think would happen if everyone walked out of shops without paying?

Well, that escalated.

Yup. Maybe that's true. And I still don't care. I care that rapists get let off with a suspended sentence, that child abusers are allowed to keep their kids, that the police tell victims they're making it up, that there are kids starving to death on the same planet where there are trillionaires. I care that innocent people are raped, tortured and murdered in the name of "war" I care that a baby got shot over stolen nappies.

I don't care that a drug addict stole GHDs from Tesco and sold them on vinted. And I don't want someone being paid minimum wage to work in Tesco fighting with that person. Nor do I want the police spending time trying to find that person who really doesn't care about being arrested for it when they could should be protecting victims.

I wonder how this works on the scales?
Unless of course the thing is not touching the scales.
The few times I have accidentally typed 5 apples or whatever and there's been 6 in my paper bag, the red light goes on and someone comes over!

I’ve seen so many people not scan things when using the scan and go system in my local shop. They literally scan a few things then will pop in a bottle of coke or cheese or book or something and not scan it . I always wonder how those people get caught as they are paying for a chunk of their shopping? Do supermarkets not care as long as they are buying something?!

in a few years we will have to provide preauthorisation to enter stores. Like that Amazon one. It benefits no one.

I saw a couple walk into supermarket, fill their bags with tons of food. Walked out, no challenge.
When I was leaving, I saw them come back.
There should be proper deterrents like exploding ink or doors that trap the feckers until the police arrive.

Free food for some while the prices rise for the rest of us. Supermarkets are raking it in anyway.

I was once at a local PACT meeting and the local post office was telling the police that she reported every incident. But the police told her no reports had been recorded. She was furious. She reporting on the 101 live chat. So obviously nothing was recorded anywhere.
When the two local shoplifters died of drug overdose (very sad) . The crime in her shop halved!
I know people say what about a mother stealing baby milk and bread, but it’s not is it?
Its someone clearing the shelf of Kendamil baby milk and steak and laundry detergent ( the pods) and alcohol!

I wish we could! Not allowed to do that, apparently it’s a breach of GDPR. Not allowed to have pictures out the back either to warn colleagues to watch out for certain people. All we can do is ask each other on our headsets things like “do you recognise the bloke in the 3rd aisle by the red wine wearing x, x height, red backpack looks like a total scat bag ?”

If we were allowed pictures up in our windows you’d not be able to see out 🙃