To think security should have let thief stole?

[User271947]

Was doing my food shop earlier and happened to see the scene of a man getting caught stealing milk. Just a bottle of milk.

My heart broke for this thief, if he wasn't desperate he wouldn't have stolen... it wasn't anything he could gain money from.

I thought if security just turned a blind eye and let him walk home with it he might have fed himself or someone, or at least took away that bit of hunger. Yes it's their job but I think sometimes humanity should be above.

Would you have compassion for this or am I being naive?

I’ve worked in retail before and whenever I’ve seen someone shoplift basic items I’ve pulled a blind eye. Firstly, because I don’t care - they aren’t stealing from me directly. Secondly, because they clearly need it, even if it’s non essential items they’re clearly going to sell them for drugs that they’re addicted to, so I let them have them and pretend I didn’t see. It’s something I can get away with and not be punished for, but I think security staff get more of a bollocking and potentially risk their jobs when a lot of stock goes missing so I don’t blame them, even if they didn’t want to pull the bloke up. I do get what you’re saying though, it is a shame.

I don't think anyone on this thread can tell you why this man stole.
The fact that he only stole that would suggest to me that he really needed it.
You can show compassion to someone for someone who steals without advocating the action.
It's not right to steal but there's a huge amount of people in debt and struggling but appearances are deceiving whether they are pride reasons or not.
I wouldn't blame the security guard either way. He has a job to do but I doubt even they would know whether a thief was needy or not.

Hope you would be equally forgiving and gave 3 strikes of someone was nicking your stuff. Ha. As if

He could be a prolific thief

That's a shame, sounds like he needs the quota to show he's doing his job properly/power trip jobsworth. It's why I couldn't do that job - I would be 3 strikes on small things then the police, which wouldn't go down well with corporate.

So how many times would one individual a actually have to steal to get caught three times? It's always clueless, completely unrealistic to the reality of the job type people that comment with this drivel.

@Calmate

I know what you mean User271 I was in Morrisons in Leyland a couple of years ago, a man had stolen a joint of meat, and there were 4 security guards on him, pinning his arms up his back, he was on the floor, face to the ground and one guard was kneeling on his back until the police turned up. The force used was excessive, and I doubt it would be tolerated now in the light of the guy in the USA who mouthed "I can't breathe". I felt really bad for the poor man. Yes, theft is theft, but he may have been desperate. Also, I don't think the police attend for shoplifting now, I don't know what the procedure is, as you used to see people being led from the supermarkets into a police car.

Joints of meat are a common thing for shoplifting to sell.

Also, one of the staff in my previous job politely asked a known shoplifter to give back what he had stolen. The shoplifter swung a punch at him and spat at him, found out later that the guy had hepatitis so member of staff had to be tested just in case there was transmission (although it is rare).

Having worked in retail I can assure you theft cost business and US millions.

Milk/milkshake theft is very common with smack (herion) addicts.

Interesting to see now we are developing a fentanyl drug abuse population what the craving will be.

Though just as a topical aside a regular known (employed) ketamine user is not going to have the covid vaccine because it might have something dodgy in it!

I saw a very well dressed man in a suit swipe a huge joint of beef out of M&S a while back.

I went to tell someone but he was long gone by the time I could find a member of staff.

The fact that he only stole that would suggest to me that he really needed it

Oh look, more assumptions
Except perhaps for the security guard, how can anyone state it as a "fact" that this is all he stole?

Makes me wonder why even have security at a supermarket at all! Any food item is fair game because anyone stealing food is obviously in a desperate situation. "But supermarkets these days have clothes and electronics sections too!" I hear you cry. But don't we live in a country where everyone should really have access to clothes and a TV? If someone needs clothes or a TV that badly, they must be in a pretty dire situation, so really we should be letting them go on their way too.

Now I'm thinking... why even have checkouts??

@Thewiseoneincognito

Thieving dirty scumbag should be permanently banned from the store and handed community service order.

@Thewiseoneincognito are you Inspector Javert?

The only time I saw a security pile on was for the safety of customers or the shoplifter. He came in, a bit out of sorts, stole some orange juice. When security stopped him he nicked his hand and said he had AIDS. To other customers it must have looked like two security guards and two managers pinning down a man.

@rwalker

Having worked in retail I can assure you theft cost business and US millions.

Yep, but that doesn't seem to matter on threads like this - you get slammed if you don't show compassion to thieves, but what about compassion for the workers who will lose their jobs if businesses crumble?

Waste and loss of stock is a big reason why shops struggle - it's BIG business.

"Milk/milkshake theft is very common with smack (heroin) addicts."

Oh, my goodness, the plot thickens. There's a whole underworld out there.

To posters who have commented on my previous comment, I suppose you have a point. My local newspaper chronicles the exploits of habitual shoplifters, they receive a suspended sentence or unpaid (community) service, and days later they are back out going from shop to shop, and stolen items are often alcohol or electrical items. Their defence solicitor always states how hard their lives have been, detailing addiction, etc.

Well even Richard Madeley as was of the TV "accidentally" pushed through a trolley with some stuff in,,, Theft is complicated and there's many psychological reasons as well as "desperation" for milk.

Winona Ryder ..why? Zero desperation there.

There was also a thread here a few weeks ago by someone who was regularly stealing from a supermarket.. very sad to read.

I work for a supermarket. I know we lose money every year to shoplifting. I know it pushes prices up. I feel sorry for the small shops who lose out. I feel less sorry for the large supermarkets who are pretty greedy.
I do think the security guard was in a tough position but no one knows if this man was genuinely starving.
He might have done it for a laugh but what if he didn't? What if he really needed the milk? What if his children hadn't eaten?
I really hope all those being superior never find themselves in such a situation but don't worry if you do. They'll be plenty of people to judge you.

I used to work in a shop and there was a woman who was a regular shoplifter.

She would mainly take small, low value items. Every time she got caught she would pretend not to know where she was, or what she was doing and conveniently never remembered she’d been banned the week before (but absolutely fine and aware her surroundings up to that point, talking to staff etc). To bystanders who had never seen her before, she probably looked like she was just so down on her luck or unwell, but in fact she just didn’t fancy paying sometimes.

I love the naivety of some on Mumsnet.

1. The police seldom turn up to shoplifting these days. This will be dealt with internally, using bans and so on.
2. How do you think the security guard realised that he was stealing? That pint of milk didn't have an electronic tag on it, the man was almost certainly known.
3. Few thefts (including of low value items) are born out of desperation. Some people just view paying as a mugs game or enjoy the thrill of an easy win. There's always an alternative for the genuinely desperate, many of whom wouldn't even consider stealing if it were the only thing keeping them from starvation.

I work on public transport and encounter my share of liars, thieves, fraudsters and the occasional outright nasty scrote. Whenever I hear "wha' i' is righ', yeah" (this is the new "basically", a phrase used to buy time when inventing a story), I roll my eyes and wait to hear whether they've come up with an original porky pie. Not everyone is at the lower end of the economic spectrum either. White collar workers do try the odd fraud too though it's usually more thought out than simply hiding in the toilet.

Few people in enforcement roles (police/security/ticket inspectors/bailiffs) are on a "power trip" as a poster put it. An ordinary member of the public might come across a situation, assume that the officer is a Nazi and pull the cameraphone out. More likely, the individual is well known for doing it and the officer has heard the same excuses more times than a teacher has heard about canines devouring essays.

@ClutchingMyPearlsAppropriately
Well said! Some ‘woke’ arseholes on here! Of course the security guard should not have should not have turned a blind eye. I bet those claiming they should would be the first to complain if it was their purse being nicked.

P.S. @WhenPidgeonsCry

Ouch !!!! That was cynical but funny !

I'm not being superior @Rosebel ,but yourr making a lot of assumptions ,and would you like the security guard to turn a blind eye and than possibly lose their job ? Because they might than be the ones with starving children and that helps no one .

The problem with things like this, is you only see a snapshot.

You don't know if that person was stealing because they're genuinely in need or because they're kleptomaniacs.

I work for a supermarket. I know we lose money every year to shoplifting. I know it pushes prices up. I feel sorry for the small shops who lose out. I feel less sorry for the large supermarkets who are pretty greedy.

So, what about all the workers (including yourself) who could lose their jobs if the shop is forced to close because they're losing so much money?

Why do you sympathise with those breaking the law but not with the staff who are only doing their jobs, and who are at risk of losing those jobs if theft and loss becomes too much of a problem for that specific store?

Might be a helpful intervention to other services or food banks.

And security jib is just that: they aren't a moral compass otherwise everyone would do what they like in their jobs.