Year of the shoplifter as thefts soar while epidemic grips Britain's high street
Shopkeepers and retail bosses are demanding urgent action to tackle the epidemic of shoplifting sweeping Britain’s high streets.
They want police and the courts to do more to protect staff and bring prosecutions after 87% of convenience store staff said thieves had verbally abused them. Shoplifting is estimated to cost retailers almost £1billion a year. The British Retail Consortium said there were around eight million incidents in the 12 months to March. Police recorded 339,206 cases, with just 48,218 of these incidents resulting in charges.
Workers say some crooks pull items from shelves in front of them and return to steal more – as they believe they can get away with it. The Mirror is today joining calls for action with a list of demands to stop the scourge. And we will publish your pictures and CCTV of shoplifting to shame the culprits.
While some people believe the cost-of-living crisis and soaring prices is partially behind the rise in shoplifting, retail expert Scott Dixon said the problem is mainly down to shoplifters becoming more shameless. He said: “It is worse than ever. Shoplifters know the odds are stacked in their favour and are becoming bolder. Shoplifting has effectively been decriminalised.
Domonique Woodward grapples with suspected shoplifter (Domonique Woodward)“More must be done to protect retailers and staff. We need tougher laws backed up by the police and courts. Smaller retailers cannot afford to take the hit and are giving up their livelihoods, which has repercussions on communities. We may also see larger retailers closing stores in key locations.”
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One Co-op manager told how in recent months his store in South London has been targeted up to seven times a day. The worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed police only attend incidents and look at CCTV when the value of stolen goods exceeds £200.
Nearly 10 years ago, the Tories brought in changes so those who shoplift goods worth less than £200 can receive fines by post. The Co-op manager said: “Regular thieves are aware of this and ensure the value of what they steal does not exceed that amount. They tell us: ‘you can’t stop us, you can’t touch us, the police can’t stop us’.”
His shop has been regularly vandalised, with employees beaten by criminals as they try to stop them fleeing. A pregnant member of staff was even held at gunpoint. Perfume shop manager Domonique Woodward, of Malvern, Worcs, has worked in retail for 15 years and has never known a year like this one for shoplifting.
She added: “You used to get your occasional shoplifter maybe once a year but it would be small things. When shoplifters do get caught they might get a smack on the wrist, but little is done to prosecute them, which means they’re going to keep doing it.” The Association of Convenience Stores found there have been 1.1 million thefts reported over the past year – the highest number on record – with 63% of them being committed by repeat offenders.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said the repeat offenders, and members of organised crime gangs known to the police, are stealing without fear of reproach. He said: “He added: “Official crime figures barely scratch the surface of the reality. The Government, Police and Crime Commissioners and local forces need to take urgent action to stop this national crimewave.”
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Tories had turned their backs on town centres. She said: “Shoplifting, antisocial behaviour, vandalism and town centre crime have shot up. Yet the gangs and vandals are getting away with crime with no consequences at all. That kind of lawlessness is a total disgrace.
“Labour will put neighbourhood police back in our town centres to crack down on local shoplifting gangs and abuse. Shopworkers shouldn’t be left to deal with these appalling attacks alone.” Retail workers union USDAW’s recent annual survey found three quarters had suffered abuse from customers, with thefts from shops triggering nearly a third of these incidents last year.
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (Getty Images)Dave Williams, of USDAW, said: “We welcome Labour’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which will bring 13,000 extra officers and PCSOs. We must also address the wider societal issues such as the cost-of-living crisis, addiction and mental health issues, which are driving up shoplifting.”
Consumer expert Dr Sinead Furey, of Ulster University, said some thieves may be struggling with the cost of living. She said: “If you are in dire states and may have exhausted all your usual pathways, shoplifting essentials like food or medicines is not a choice.” Dame Sharon Wright, the head of the John Lewis Partnership, this week described shoplifting in the UK as an “epidemic”.
She said offences at the retailer had doubled in 12 months. She called for legislation like in Scotland, where the abuse of a retail worker is an offence, to be brought in nationwide. John Lewis is among 10 large firms also including Tesco and Next funding £600,000 towards a planned crackdown of shoplifting called Project Pegasus.
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Analysts will use CCTV and data from shops to work out how shoplifters are operating. The Co-op has hired undercover guards, and new staff are trained to confront and hold thieves until police arrive. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Retailers have invested £715million into crime prevention over the past year, but more needs to be done by Police and the Government. Police must give retail crime greater focus, dedicating more resource to attending reported incidents.
“The Government must think about creating a standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker, like in Scotland, as everyone deserves to go to work without fearing for their safety.” Co-op data from a Freedom of Information request showed police fail to attend two thirds of serious retail crimes.
Shoplifting does not automatically lead to jail time. If the goods are worth less than £200, the maximum sentence is six months in prison, but this is usually handled by issuing a postal fine of £70. Stealing items valued at £200 or more can lead to a maximum sentence of seven years.
Tory shake-up led to postal fines for items under £200
Controversial changes brought in under the Tories mean that thieves who shoplift goods worth less than £200 can receive fines by post. The move, introduced while Theresa May was Home Secretary in 2014, has led to accusations that crimes have been effectively decriminalised.
Retailers complain that police do not attend two-thirds of shoplifting cases, and say it is not putting would-be thieves off. Under the shake-up, thieves who plead guilty by post can be given a fine and not have to appear in court. Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, told The Mirror: “Shop theft is not new but years of low prioritisation by the police have allowed it to become a low-risk, high-reward crime, now involving very organised elements.”
If goods are worth less than £200, the maximum sentence an offender can be given is six months behind bars. Those who steal goods worth more could face up to seven years in jail.
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