AIBU to ask if shoplifting has effectively been decriminalised?

There are some of course who go right the other way and get violent and threatening. Between us we have had: bottles of wine chucked at us, threats of rape, threats with a used needle and a broken bottle, threats of coming back later with a samurai sword, a hand round the throat, repeated kicks to the head, a drunk getting his knob out, punch in the stomach. This doesn’t include the name calling. And this is a “nice” area.

Could be why we’re banned from confronting and especially from chasing them. We can politely ask for them to hand back what they’ve taken before they leave. You can guess how success that strategy is.

It’s quite rare that people steal things they want for themselves.

The majority are sell-on items. Popular items are washing pods (the kind that are £10 a box), meat (£8 a steak type thing), perfume and electrical items (hair stylers, shavers etc).

No problem.

I’m not going to deny the system can be a bit frustrating and slow, but shoplifting absolutely is prosecuted. A cursory google search shows around 50,000 prosecutions for shoplifting in the last year, which is about what I would expect.

That’s not to say people don’t get away with it, of course they do, that’s the nature of crime and society. But it does grate when people say X or Y ‘has effectively been decriminalised’ because 50,000 convictions is not ‘decriminalisation’ to anyone with half a brain.

Only witnessed 1 shoplifting incident in recent memory. A tween boy with a puffa jacket was walking near me in my local Lidl when a sharing bag of sweets fell out in front of him.

Probably wrong of me, but I did laugh.

I don't see why it couldn't work the same as when you buy petrol - they put a pre-authorisation on your card to a certain amount. Then the actual amount you spend is what is ultimately deducted. That tech has already been in place for a number of years so wouldn't be hard to roll out, and isn't giving any more data away than you would already do if you pay by card anyway.

You'd have to scan your receipt or card to exit (a system which a lot of self-service tills already have). There could be a separate exit by the security guard for people who don't buy anything - yes technically someone could still stuff a pack of biscuits down their jumper but they wouldn't escape with whole trolleys worth of stuff, and they would have to go through a security gate first so anything with a security label would beep.

The only disadvantage would be people who prefer to pay with cash, but how many people still do that? And there could still be a workaround if you wanted to pay with cash at the till as long as you had a card to use for the pre-authorisation. perhaps you could get pre-pay cards etc.

The amazon grocery stores in the US pretty much already work that way, with the added tech of them being able to calculate what you owe as you walk out with it without you having to queue and pay - that could be another option.

While people have concerns about tech, something not working properly is a possible negative outcome, whereas constant shop lifting isn't a hypothetical but is actually happening.

At the end of the day shops aren't going to do anything until the easier option (charging the law-abiding 95% more to cover the loss of the thieving X%) stops working, so it will be on us to change it. If one supermarket successfully implements an alternative it will be up to consumers to vote with their feet - if it means cheaper prices for them and a nicer experience without scabs nicking stuff so feel that 'giving away' data supermarkets already have access to via CCTV, clubcard and bank cards is a worthwhile exchange.

I feel so naive reading this thread 😂

It's really not staff responsibility to stop them imo. And police really should have better things to worry about.

A baby in America just got shot by cops who wrongly thought the mum had stolen nappies. I prefer people being able to walk out the shop without paying for their food over that. With every fibre of my being.

The police have told us that they don’t have the resources to arrest everyone that steals. We as staff can’t do anything because we could lose our jobs and it’s maddening to watch them take whatever they want without consequences knowing that everyone else will foot the bill for it because prices will go up to cover the loss.

Do they do anything about non immigrants stealing by any chance, or does that not happen?

That's reassuring.thanks for sharing

I don't wait for even one minute, when that has happened. If security is not near the exit to deal with it, it is not my problem, I know that I have paid, as I check my receipt in the shop, before I leave, as I am sick of being overcharged, or something being scanned twice by the checkout staff.

Yes, along with rape as already mentioned, and burglary. It seems pointless, unless you need a crime reference number for an insurance claim.

What do you expect them to do?

I'm sure there must be far, far more that do get away with it than end up in court. The police very rarely actually get the footage. I can count on one hand the number of times our reports have been followed up on

Yes the poor staff in our local Coop are being terrorized by youth in balaklavas who just help themselves on a daily basis. One older man was asssaulted also.

ZoeCM · Today 18:43
One of my local hardware shops put a poster in the window. It has a CCTV image of a shoplifter with the caption "If you see this woman, she's a THIEF!" More shopkeepers should take that tactic

Im surprised Lord Hermer hasn’t threatened the shop with human rights violations.

Question is what are the sanctions? If you steal, you still have the means to get away quickly as no-one gets banned from driving for any form of theft.

One of my local hardware shops put a poster in the window. It has a CCTV image of a shoplifter with the caption "If you see this woman, she's a THIEF!" More shopkeepers should take that tactic.

I think what pp means is security guard/ staff seem to spend a fair bit of time on law abiding non shop lifters. I’ve noticed when the alarm goes off in Ilocal Tesco and you wait politely the security guard will spend a good ten minutes faffing around with your shopping / receipt whereas if you swan out and ignore it nothing happens.

I now swan out and should someone want to check my shopping they are welcome to but I’d have them unpack / repack for me.

This.

Just because the police don’t rush to the scene with the blue lights on and arrest immediately it doesn’t mean they’ve got away with it.

Most are repeat offenders and will be identified via CCTV and prosecuted. Even if it’s a one off the perpetrator is usually known to police and can be identified from that. It’s rare for a person to just spontaneously start shoplifting in the way you describe without being known to authorities for other crimes or addictions.

Pop along to your local court. Many cases of shoplifting every single day.