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Original poster

Arrest a shoplifter says Tory MP. Would you? I wouldn't.

136 replies

newnamethanks · 04/10/2023 08:23

This is the latest economy they wish to foist upon us. Please detain anyone you spot helping themselves to goods which belong to a shop. Don't think about your own personal safety, just be public spirited enough to interrupt that junkie over there helping himself. As if.

OP posts:
Molly54320 · 04/10/2023 09:17

Shoplifters could be armed! I know not all of them, but you never know! No way am I doing that!

Cloudysky81 · 04/10/2023 09:22

Towerofsong · 04/10/2023 08:55

I don't understand why they are even suggesting it, it's outrageously irresponsible.

Firstly a citizens arrest in the UK is only legal for an "indictable offence". An indictable offence is a more serious offence that would carry a prison term of more than 6 mths and be tried in a crown court. Eg a serious assault, murder and so on.
Shoplifting would get maybe 2 weeks in prison, or more likely a slap on the wrist, and be tried at magistrates court.

Encouraging members of public to 'have a go' just puts them at risk at the time and also legally vulnerable.

How do security guards manage to legally detain people then. I’ve never really understood their powers, I always assumed they just made a citizens arrest and awaited the police.
Genuine question, I’m not planning a shoplifting spree.

Passepartoute · 04/10/2023 09:25

Looking forward to seeing all these public-spirited Tory MPs arresting shoplifters and holding on to them for several hours till the police turn up.

MendaciousMabel · 04/10/2023 09:26

Not at all and everyone knows that shop staff are often told not to confront shoplifters anyway.

TheThunderer · 04/10/2023 09:29

"Let's not fund public services. Let's get the general population to volunteer to do the work instead."

It was only a matter of time before this idea extended to getting volunteers to do police work as well.

CalistoNoSolo · 04/10/2023 09:32

MessyMyrtle · 04/10/2023 09:01

Are crime levels out of control these days? The media like to report they are, on a regular basis - they’ve been doing this for years.

if there has been an uptick in shoplifting atm, perhaps it’s because people are hurting so much financially they are driven to it?

I think it is. From low level antisocial stuff all the way up to the govt embezzling billions from the public purse. Knife crime is off the scale, and this is the main reason most people won't intervene in any kind of altercation. I'm really glad I don't live in a big city, but even in the prosperous market town just up the road there is a problem with knife crime and stabbings are relatively common.

FrankensteinCastle · 04/10/2023 09:33

TheThunderer · 04/10/2023 09:29

"Let's not fund public services. Let's get the general population to volunteer to do the work instead."

It was only a matter of time before this idea extended to getting volunteers to do police work as well.

Wasn't this David Cameron's "Big Society" idea? Now taken to it's logical conclusion...

jlpth · 04/10/2023 09:34

MessyMyrtle · 04/10/2023 09:01

Are crime levels out of control these days? The media like to report they are, on a regular basis - they’ve been doing this for years.

if there has been an uptick in shoplifting atm, perhaps it’s because people are hurting so much financially they are driven to it?

I think the kind of shoplifting done by people who are driven to it financially is relatively small in scale. I once saw a hungry man steal a single bag of crisps, for example. Or someone hard up pays for the majority of their shopping but slips an item or two somewhere where it won’t be seen to shoplift them. That’s rather different from the situation now, where criminals are pretty brazenly loading up bag fulls or boot fulls of stuff that they aren’t personally hungry for, they’re going to sell it on. My tescos has recently installed gate style barriers as you go in the front of it. You used to be able to just wander in and out of massive sliding doors. Lots of shops have been forced to put expensive items behind the tills.

jlpth · 04/10/2023 09:35

But no I wouldn’t stop any kind of shoplifter ever. I’d get away from the situation.

MoonShinesBright · 04/10/2023 09:39

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Cakeymamma88 · 04/10/2023 09:49

I've seen mothers shoplifting food for thier kids . Bread,milk, nappies, etc . I'd NEVER get involved. Didn't see a a thing

Towerofsong · 04/10/2023 09:51

Cloudysky81 · 04/10/2023 09:22

How do security guards manage to legally detain people then. I’ve never really understood their powers, I always assumed they just made a citizens arrest and awaited the police.
Genuine question, I’m not planning a shoplifting spree.

Show quote history

To be honest I don't really understand that either. I just googled and it says that they can detain until police arrive "for damage or loss to property" but I don't understand how that fits with an indictable offence.

Certainly they have to be pretty cautious to avoid harm to the person and to avoid the risk of a complaint of false imprisonment.

I seem to remember that for a PCSO, up to half an hour was considered reasonable to detain someone while awaiting a police officer, beyond that gets dubious.

It is a bit of a minefield legally.

WeWereInParis · 04/10/2023 09:51

Ha ha ha.

I'll just pin someone down on the floor of the shop until the police show up (which they won't) shall I? I can't see any issues there.

CornishClott · 04/10/2023 09:53

I saw plenty of grazers when I worked in retail . Grazers meaning people who eat food before they leave the shop and pay . Often they looked down and out so I left them to it .

megletthesecond · 04/10/2023 09:56

Maybe the Tories should pay for thousands of police officers to walk the beat in town centres instead. Or they should suggest supermarkets reduce their profits a tad by re-installing check out staff and pay for their own security.

sadaboutmycat · 04/10/2023 09:57

heldinadream · 04/10/2023 08:28

Gosh no, but can I arrest a Tory mp instead? That would do much more overall good to society IMHO.

Perfect!

sadaboutmycat · 04/10/2023 10:10

EnterFunnyNameHere · 04/10/2023 08:56

This is a genuine question, if anyone can explain in simple terms (happy to say I'm ignorant in this matter!). Why is it that we don't have "enough" police these days to actually manage the crime levels?

Is it that there is a bigger population/more crime going on and broadly the same number of police as before? Is it that there are enough police but they are not being well managed?? Or is it the same as its always been, just better advertised through social media etc?

It's just - and I am not blaming individual coppers here - it seems like, well what are they all doing? So they can't possibly crack down on shoplifting... why? What are they actually doing? There's enough in the press of shoddy investigations and missed opportunities to intercept crimes...

Like I say,, I'm not blaming individual officers, who I'm sure are in it up to their eyeballs.... but what is it which means the crime levels seem out of control these days? I'd love to understand it better!

Tory underfunding.

GKD · 04/10/2023 10:31

We’ve recently seen a woman (who wasn’t actually thieving) strangled in a shop, a few months ago we saw a child (13?) manhandled and another punched by a security guard.

This worries me esp as a black female as doesn’t this give a green light for some ignoramus to harm me in a store with the excuse ‘I thought she was stealing’?

Minister is dangerous and irresponsible.

SlightlygrumpyBettyswaitress · 04/10/2023 10:36

Donkeys years ago as a shop worker I made the decision I would never put my wellbeing at risk.
As a desk jockey nowt has changed.
Not my circus, Not my monkeys

OneTC · 04/10/2023 10:56

Have detained probably hundreds of people in my working life and they spend longer with us than they do with the police so I don't really see what the point is but it feels wrong just letting them take our stuff

Universalsnail · 04/10/2023 11:00

No. I would mind my own business.

Nuggett · 04/10/2023 11:03

Irresponsible suggestion ! Which just goes to show how badly we need more Police! Who aren’t misogynistic racists obviously.

Fireisland · 04/10/2023 11:05

No. Safety aside, if I saw somebody shoplifting I'd assume they were in need and would actively hope they didn't get caught.

Kemper · 04/10/2023 11:05

Cakeymamma88 · 04/10/2023 09:49

I've seen mothers shoplifting food for thier kids . Bread,milk, nappies, etc . I'd NEVER get involved. Didn't see a a thing

Lol. That’s not for their kids. It’s getting flogged down the pub on the estate

BCCoach · 04/10/2023 11:08

Well, given the number of security guards who have been stabbed trying to detain shoplifters I can't see that going well. Mr Tory MP seems to think that shoplifters are kids nicking makeup and sweets, or granny slipping a couple of extra tins of catfood in the trolley. They're not - they are organised gangs who will steam into a store and openly empty the shelves into a trolley or large bags and walk out.