AIBU to ask if shoplifting has effectively been decriminalised?

135 replies

IsawwhatIsaw · 17/06/2026 16:45

I know there have been previous threads about shoplifting.
here’s another one, as I just heard our small local supermarket lost around 50 bottles of wine in a few minutes the other night.
apparently 3 men came in with big bags and set about clearing the wine shelves. Then casually walked out.
This shop has continuous shoplifting but not usually on this scale. Think more sweets, sandwiches, meat.
And there are very few staff in there now because of self service tills . Maybe the supermarket feels slashing staff numbers still works out cheaper the man stopping any theft deterrent .
so my Aibu is to ask whether shoplifting has been effectively decriminalized.

OP posts:

ofcolitas · 17/06/2026 17:04

We will end up like they have ended up in America where certain areas are food deserts because the supermarkets are all closing down due to theft. A few of them lost $1 million the year before they closed. So no food locally, plus no jobs.

CeeJay81 · 17/06/2026 17:03

It seems like it. As someone who works in a local small supermarket, the police do very little. It's rife because everyone now knows that very little is done about it. We just have to watch them walk away with it all. It is very frustrating.

DavidStopActingLikeADisgruntledPelican · 17/06/2026 17:02

The problem isn’t only staff hours being slashed but we are not allowed to confront shoplifters. The company I work for have and will fire employees for doing so. We have cctv and wear body cams so it’s easy to find out who’s said and done what.

That said, the police force local to me are trying to crack down on shoplifters but it can be complicated for different reasons. For example, junkies can be difficult to track down. It’s also often surprising who is nicking stuff. You know stuff is missing (we only put out 3 of each steak in my store because they always get nicked) and when we look back on the camera and be shocked about who’s stolen what.

MaggieFS · 17/06/2026 17:01

It Feels like it doesn’t it. Our medium sized High Street Boots might as well have a sign above it saying “help yourself”. It’s got so bad the staff barely put any stock out, so now you can’t buy anything anyway. Whether through theft or decline in sales, I’m sure it must be unviable now.

LaurieFairyCake · 17/06/2026 16:58

If I tried to nick a chicken I’d be tackled to the ground. But big blokes looking lairy are not going to be - and nor should the staff be putting themselves at risk.

Loads of big scary looking blokes thieving in the local supermarkets.

Original poster

IsawwhatIsaw · 17/06/2026 16:55

There are apparently numerous shoplifters well known to the staff, who try and get them out.
It was just the scale of this and the brazenness that got me.
They know the staff can’t do anything so just helped themselves.
There’s a bad drug problem in this area too, people openly injecting themselves in parks. Sure there’s a connection .
It just feels like a lot has gone downhill over last few years.

OP posts:

aliceyyyy2654 · 17/06/2026 16:54

Yes, my partner works in a shop and the police will not come out for shoplifting anymore unless it’s violent, they won’t even investigate.

ohyesido · 17/06/2026 16:50

only for the dodgy people. You can be sure that if you or I or anyone non threatening in appearance would have their collar felt and face prison if caught shoplifting

Darragon · 17/06/2026 16:48

Yep. I saw a bloke walk out of Tesco with a trolley full of stuff and the security guard just stood next to him saying give it back while he unloaded it and drove off. The self serve checkouts are the ones nearest the entrance. It’s like they and the police have just given up on it.

WheretheFishesareFrightening · 17/06/2026 16:47

I still see loads of shoplifters in my court that get criminal records and sanctions for shoplifting. So that’s not my experience.

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