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 kinda agree with you op. If I was the guard I’d let a pint of milk go. He clearly desperate for it. Bags of shopping, alcohol etc ... different story. But for a pint of milk the person must have been desperate.

It could have been a distraction theft, or the only item you noticed the person stealing, or the tenth shop they'd tried to steal from that day. Theft of milk doesn't always equal desperation.

Most common item to steal is cheese followed by coffee.

Followed by bacon, if the shop I worked in is anything to go by.

Someone may feel too ashamed to go to a food bank and risk theft instead. Milk is pretty important if you have kids, for cereal etc. Imagine kids breakfast without it. Come on. Marcus Rashford explains the situation well.

Many years ago I saw a very elderly woman being held by a security guard outside a big food shop in the city centre. Two policemen arrived as I walked past. All she had in her hand was a tiny pork pie. She was as thin as a rake, she looked terrified and was crying.

Decades on it still makes me cry when I think about it.

I'm with wildthings on this. I'd turn a blind eye to anyone taking essentials, to be honest.

If they were trying to shove a £90 coffee maker under their coat, I'd think that was sus. But milk, bread, tampons? There but for the grace of God and all that.

The social security in this country is appalling. I couldn't bring myself to judge someone for taking essentials.

@whoamongstus

I'm with wildthings on this. I'd turn a blind eye to anyone taking essentials, to be honest.

If they were trying to shove a £90 coffee maker under their coat, I'd think that was sus. But milk, bread, tampons? There but for the grace of God and all that.

The social security in this country is appalling. I couldn't bring myself to judge someone for taking essentials.

Out of interest, would you think it was acceptable if someone broke into YOUR home, car or small business because they were "desperate"?

Would you be happy for it to happen over and over again, several times a day, because they're desperate?

Would you be happy to lose your livelihood because other people thought it was acceptable to steal from you?

I've had to use food bank vouchers before when I was waiting for disability benefits.
You can get them of course, but after number 3 or so, they stop giving them to you due to people misusing them apparently.
I asked at the doctors and other places but I remember being incredibly embarrassed about asking and also receiving.
The food bank were lovely to me and had a sit down chat to ask about my problems and such.
I remember a church and the priest was very sweet.
I was told I could have only a certain amount of vouchers due to recent thefts where the items had been loaded up and sold on.
They then went to say that at a push that they might be able to sort me out with something if I ran out of food and called to explain. No certainties tho. I also had no car, except when a friend helped out. Buses were largely beyond me.
I am grateful for what I had, but it takes balls to ask. Especially when your family have conditioned you to be careful with self image and pride.

Out of interest, would you think it was acceptable if someone broke into YOUR home, car or small business because they were "desperate"

Hardly the same is it? Did you know that supermarkets.waste 40 percent of their products?

@Lastfreakinglegs

Out of interest, would you think it was acceptable if someone broke into YOUR home, car or small business because they were "desperate"

Hardly the same is it? Did you know that supermarkets.waste 40 percent of their products?

So do many mumsnetters it seems from the dates on food threads.

If I was the guard I’d let a pint of milk go. He clearly desperate for it

Hes not necessarily desperate at all. People steal for a number of reasons. Why should the security guard risk his job, his familys income for a shoplifter. What about the store owner? Businesses are struggling enough just now without losing stock to shoplifters.

@Lastfreakinglegs

Out of interest, would you think it was acceptable if someone broke into YOUR home, car or small business because they were "desperate"

Hardly the same is it? Did you know that supermarkets.waste 40 percent of their products?

So because they may create a lot of waste, that makes theft okay? Really?

Where did you get your 40% figure from, by the way? I used to work in a supermarket and our waste percentage was never anywhere near that amount.

@Lastfreakinglegs

Someone may feel too ashamed to go to a food bank and risk theft instead. Milk is pretty important if you have kids, for cereal etc. Imagine kids breakfast without it. Come on. Marcus Rashford explains the situation well.

Too ashamed to go to a food bank but fine with stealing... righto.

Jeez

Mumsnet is like the frigging Daily Mail atm

It’s certainly doggy dog on this forum

@TigerDroveAgain

Jeez

Mumsnet is like the frigging Daily Mail atm

It’s certainly doggy dog on this forum

What's "Daily Mail" about supporting victims of crime as opposed to crime itself?

It's no less of a crime just because you're stealing from Tesco and not a small independent.

At least it's not dog eat dog here.

When you get robbed repeatedly (hopefully none of you will) you will see that sympathy disappear too. When you have people crying because they have losses due to theft in their business and the stress on top is making them ill, when you are waking up to alarm at night because some "poor poor soul😔" drugged up piece of shit decided that your premises make for good target again and again and when you realise that people are happily stealing just for shits and giggles as well, you too will end up like "daily mail commenter"🤷🏻

And yes. We too were told that "they are just desperate". Desperate my arse

doggy dog 😂

YABU. The security guard could be sacked for not doing their job properly.

@formerbabe

Not an unintelligent comment at all. Theft is theft in the eyes of the law. Taking an item which does not belong to you is theft

People used to say you shouldn't prosecute someone for stealing a loaf of bread because we'd all do that to feed a child. But I remember someone pointing out that the baker has children too.

It may not seen so clear with a supermarket, but your pension could rely on supermarket profits and the wages of the people who work there do too.

[quote Sideorderofchips]@formerbabe

Not an unintelligent comment at all. Theft is theft in the eyes of the law. Taking an item which does not belong to you is theft[/quote]
No because there are mitigating circumstances.

So a child stealing a penny sweet from the corner shop will not be treated the same as an adult ransacking a jewellers.

Mitigating circumstances don't make it notatheft. She was tight. Theft is theft. There are different levels to it but it's still a theft

No because there are mitigating circumstances.

So a child stealing a penny sweet from the corner shop will not be treated the same as an adult ransacking a jewellers

But this isn't about a child.

@vanillandhoney

No because there are mitigating circumstances.

So a child stealing a penny sweet from the corner shop will not be treated the same as an adult ransacking a jewellers

But this isn't about a child.

Ok a hungry adult stealing a bread roll v. The great train robbery.

I'm sure you can see the difference.

My heart broke for this thief, if he wasn't desperate he wouldn't have stolen

If only desperate people steal then explain why we often get shoplifters in a CHARITY SHOP? Explain why my cousin (head of security in a large John Lewis) has caught doctors/lawyers/etc. nicking perfume and jewellery?

I kinda agree with you op. If I was the guard I’d let a pint of milk go. He clearly desperate for it. Bags of shopping, alcohol etc ... different story. But for a pint of milk the person must have been desperate.

Where's the line? If a pint of milk is acceptable and bags of shopping isn't then where's the line? Is one bag of shopping ok? Is bread and milk okay but not bread, milk and butter?

Did he want to get caught? It's fairly common in winter for homeless people to steal cheap things to get put in prison for 24 hours. I once watched magistrates sentence a homeless man for stealing a pair of socks.