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 prolific even in shops without self checkouts! Our nearest franchised convenience store hasn't got them but blatant shoplifting regularly happens. So, no you can't blame self service checkouts! My parents used to have a corner newsagents for 25 years in the 70s and 80s where almost everything WAS behind the counter (Open all hours style), but we still had lots of shoplifting from the things on the counter, or the likes of magazines/greetings cards that were the customer side of the counter, and people just taking things like cigarette packets after asking for them and us putting them on the counter - very blatant! There's been theft since Biblical times! Self service checkouts really aren't the cause! After all, there's another long post on here about shoplifting in Greggs, who don't have self service checkouts!! We need to tackle the genuine reasons for shoplifting based on evidence, not knee jerk reactions to modern tech we don't like!

I honestly would re-introduce the stocks. And I’m not joking. Quick, humiliating justice. Rotten fruit would be regulated (no throwing of bricks etc).

Sadly there’d be lawyers queuing up to defend their clients’ “injured feelings” - on legal aid.

I haven't noticed, but well done to people who stop the CF. They're putting the prices up for the rest of us, it's never victim-less, even when it's "a supermarket, it doesn't matter innit". It does matter.

I am not sure that would be a deterrent unfortunately, but sounds better than chopping a hand off 😂

Self service checkouts really aren't the cause!

I’m pretty sure the incidence has increased statistically since self checkouts were introduced.

With the rise of self-checkout, fraud has become a key issue for retailers. Customers found ways to exploit the system, often by failing to scan items or switching barcodes.

A Fife case was on social media last night: no actual violence, but a shoplifter returned to a shop just after being told to leave.

Another shopper confronted him - pointed out that the shoplifter had returned after merely removing his hat. Stated that the shopworkers weren't allowed to touch the miscreant, but that he would.

And yet if someone does get accused of shoplifting they complain that security are heavy handed Accused of shoplifting after mistake. Should I complain? | Mumsnet

I saw a man putting stuff in his rucksack in B&M but he had a toddler with him, almost as a shield. Like if he was confronted, he could just say he was getting something for the little boy. I didn't feel like I could say anything to staff because I would hate to see the confrontation in front of the child.

But one of my local shops was (attempted) robbed at knifepoint, causing massive outrage. I would be more inclined to intervene in a local shop because we all know each other and live alongside each other.

I think there isn’t the space to put them all. Also it costs a fortune. The whole cost of police time, cps, court, jail. Say they serve a year will cost £50k ish in tax payer money over a couple of hundred quid worth of booze or meat?

The numbers don’t stack up, there are so many shoplifters that jailing a thousand which I don’t think would dent the numbers could cost £5 million a year. I don’t disagree you need deterrents but I don’t know if the political will is there. I think they were talking about getting rid of short sentences too.

I think technology could be used tags, curfews, banned ftom stores. Facial recognition and known shoplifters can be booted out on the way in.

I am always sad when i read this because where I live they would intervene. My husband apprehended a shoplifter in Asda, it was an old chap husband is a bobby but was off duty. The police were called. In a separate event, someone took my wingmirror off and a passer by got the reg. I reported it and there were 2 bobbies at the house within an hour.

I was in a Greggs the other day, and in the space of 10 minutes saw two lots of people just come in, grab what they wanted and walk out. Some young lads were outside watching it and seemed to be egging each other on to the do the same. When one came in, I held my phone up like I was filming him and it put him off.
Weirdly enough, one of the shoplifters came back and bought a coffee to drink in.

I would never dream of nicking stuff and I feel like a mug for paying for stuff when it is just that easy to take stuff without paying now.

I think people get angry at paying - a lot, with the CoL - when others can apparently swan in, grab £100 worth of stuff and swan back out consequence free.

It's out of control but the Police have been defunded and their roles changed so dramatically that they don't have the resources to deal with it.

And the anti-Police and pro-anyone doing anything shit just might have a MH problem/ND/dementia/trauma/have a shit life so we all should all be more sympathetic hasn't helped.

They are letting seriously dangerous offenders out of prison early because there is no room.

Tasers

Exactly. The supermarket shareholders are often pension funds, so anyone with a private pension fund (unless a public sector gold plated one) suffers if company profits fall due to shoplifting, meaning dividends fall, meaning investment returns fall. That's on top of prices rising for all to cover some of the losses too! It's not a victimless crime!

I’d love to know where you live. Our car was hit causing £££££ of damage. The driver fucked off and the police gave us a crime number for the insurance. Maybe the police look after their own better.

The social contract has broken.

I’ve seen more shop theft in the last year than I did in my whole previous life.

But it’s more than that. The blatant fare dodging, using phones while driving, litter, graffiti (Waterloo Bridge is covered in it, a few years ago I used to watch the cleaners power washing it away), leaving dog mess, smashed car windows, stolen e-bikes thrown on the pavement, weed on the bus, parking in the disabled bays etc etc.

It’s this feeling that things are breaking down, that we’re the losers for following the rules. Tiny, incremental, but constant and always, always getting worse.

And people argue “Oh it’s always been like this, get used to it.” Yes all these things aren’t new, but the volume of them has escalated.

I get buzzed into shops by security gates now. That did not happen 5 years ago.

It’s depressing and I totally understand how some witnesses are just breaking down and taking out their anger on thieves.

Yes- happens all the time in daughter’s supermarket. People are so angry with the constant thefts

It's a big problem at a small supermarket near here. Nearly every other day there is a post on SM about it. The supermarket company won't put in security. The staff aren't about to intervene given the number of stabbings locally, and most retailers say not to intervene or unbelievably they can face a disciplinary, locals are concerned the shop will be closed ( probably suit the company as its a smaller branch) as its a lifeline for elderly and those without transport to the big superstores. Locals are now posting about intervening themselves as they are sick of it even though they potentially could be hurt .
If the courts don't come down hard, the police are ineffectual then people will eventually deal with it themselves.

If the police don't intervene, then people end up taking matters into their own hands. No great surprise. Everyone's sick to death of criminals getting away with theft and burglary and vandalism, time after time.

@MondayYogurt

But it’s more than that. The blatant fare dodging, using phones while driving, litter, graffiti (Waterloo Bridge is covered in it, a few years ago I used to watch the cleaners power washing it away), leaving dog mess, smashed car windows, stolen e-bikes thrown on the pavement, weed on the bus, parking in the disabled bays etc etc.

Add in the black economy tax evasion/benefit fraud, money laundering, untaxed cars with no MOT, etc. We're rapidly approaching lawlessness.

And yes, "law abiding" people are now starting to question why they put themselves out to be honest and abide laws as they see so many others getting away with it without consequence, there's a steady drip-drip of more and more people ignoring the rules/laws.

I think these threads would be much more interesting if people said where they live as well as what they have or haven't observed. Where I am (Cheshire) I've never seen this. I shop in sainsburys and waitrose.

The supermarket company won't put in security.

Then they have nobody but themselves to blame.

No point in having security guards if the police won't come out to arrest the theives!