Shoplifting - have public scuffles with other customers become a thing??

[FurCoatNoKnickz]

Twice in the last week, I’ve witnessed members of the public stepping in to stop shoplifting, with pushes and scuffles breaking out. I had to call the police. It felt like shoppers are starting to get fed up, butt in, shout things, physically prevent people, push shoplifters and even scuffle.

Are other people noticing this elsewhere?

Shoplifting is out of control. The police really need to do something about it. It should be punished like any other crime.

Agreed it is completely out of control. They are literally in there with big bags looting the meat shelves etc sometimes.

I've not noticed it but I'd leave them fully to it. Absolutely not my fight to get into, if big profit making businesses don't want to employ security or deal with shoplifters, I'm certainly not putting my safety at risk.
We all end up paying for it with higher prices of course 🤷‍♀️

I witnessed someone shoplifting today. Cannot remember the last time I saw that. The security guard did approach them but they ran off and security didn’t follow. Not sure how much they managed to take.

There is a big pendulum swing happening where younger people are now realising what was meant by “ bring back national service”! Shoplifting and teen boys in balaclavas cycling on the pavement in the high streets. Whose idea was it to cut the police force, again?!

huh?

I’m not advocating for national service. I doubt many other people are. But there is definitely an issue with too many people getting away with murder in shops and the legislation or police services not being up to a response.

The scumbags who buy it second hand are just as bad. And I hope that they will be increasingly prosecuted.

I’m not getting involved either. I got away and phoned the police quietly because it was out of control.

Please don’t take literally. I didn’t think you were advocating for national service.

It all makes me wonder if the era of self-service supermarkets and other shops will end up being seen as a temporary blip, and we'll have to go back to stock being behind counters again.

We should go back to traditional shops with the stock behind the counter like in "Open All Hours". There are too many people that can't be trusted with self-service supermarkets anymore.

The police do not decide the punishment

I've only seen people intervene and I include myself, if the shoplifter is getting verbally abusive/destructive and I've got children with me. There's a video of a Dad who practically uses a scumbag shoplifter, to clean the floor. He literally wiped the floor with him, because he was starting to run around the store emptying shelves and screaming obscenities. When the shoplifter finally gets to ask, what's it got to do with him, the man says "I'm not letting my children watch me do nothing about this". I've got to say, he's got a point.

Do the police not decide when to arrest someone for shoplifting or let them go?

Shoplifters should all get a custodial sentence. And violent shoplifters should do some serious time. It cannot be allowed to continue unabated.

That's all you can do. Unfortunately the police won't care or will be slow to respond. I have worked in retail (thankfully not any more) and shoplifters often have knives etc on them, its just not worth it.

Supermarket security guards need to be armed. Not with guns but with batons or cattle prods or something.

There's no way Id be getting involved that's the job and responsibility of Security and if a Shop doesn't have them (Security) that's on them.

The police did come. I think they could hear the shouting in the background with the scuffling.

I don’t advocate getting involved. But twice this week customers in my local shop have just pitched in and got involved. I’m wondering whether people are just over seeing this systemised looting going on.

It would be the drug addicted women who get prison sentences because the male prisons are full. Disproportionately women are getting custodial sentences and women's prisons are providing less support, education etc than the men's. It's a wider society and the funding of services, opportunities etc issue.

That's good then. Glad someone was able to stop them so the police could get there.

Police where I’m from can’t control it . There is stolen meat and goods being sold everyday on the pavement of a shopping town . It’s quite mind boggling actually how they continue to get away with it constantly. The theft itself and the selling .

Not much point in presenting reasonable facts to posters who evidently have no knowledge of drug related offending or the prison system.

Bring back the stocks and public flogging.