Shoplifting

trisher

There was a TV programme about the small mining vilages in the NE where drug taking is a major problem. One of the ways of funding the habit is exactly the sort of shopifting you are describing. The shoplifter is often already known to the police. If he is picked up, he will already have sold the after-shave and bought more drugs. He won't care if he is caught, drugs are readily available in prisons. You did eactly the right thing.

Yes, that is commonplace, and it does go on everywhere.
Even in "lovely" small towns.

When I worked in retail the owner told us how she had tackled a shoplifter who stole a handbag, chasing her into the alley and getting the bag back.
When it was just me and the boy I told him if he went chasing after shoplifters he’d have me to answer to. I wasn’t going to endanger myself and I certainly didn’t expect him to put himself at risk.

There was a TV programme about the small mining vilages in the NE where drug taking is a major problem. One of the ways of funding the habit is exactly the sort of shopifting you are describing. The shoplifter is often already known to the police. If he is picked up, he will already have sold the after-shave and bought more drugs. He won't care if he is caught, drugs are readily available in prisons. You did eactly the right thing.

I saw something similar in a city centre branch of Superdrug. by the time I realised that my eyes weren't deceiving me another woman had spoken up - well, shouted 'Oi' at him, at least ?. He pushed her roughly and ran out of the door, disappearing onto the busy street outside.

The woman he'd pushed wasn't hurt, but she was shaken. It could have been a lot worse. I'm pleased you didn't put yourself at risk, annsixty.

He could have pulled a knife on you if you had intervened so you definitely did the right thing. What a scumbag , too many of them around these days.

A dear friend of mine was stabbed and severely injured trying to detain a shoplifter he witnessed in the act. Give a statement is asked but absolutely do not intervene personally. A property crime is not worth your personal safety.

You reported the incident, you could do no more.

too to. For goodness' sake!

Surely even small branches of Boots would have CCTV as their kind of merchandise is very attractive too shoplifters as it's easy to dispose of.

That happened to me Anne. I was in Dunelm and a young man with a baby in a pram was unwrapping the most expensive duvet cover in the shop. He said in a jokey way he was dismantling it. He then put in under the pram and walked out of the store. I was so shocked at the blatant way he did this.

Afterwards I thought maybe I should have said something but it is such a shock. I just reported it to the staff.

That was not a nice experience for you. You mentioned you were in a small village and the Boots store was small. Most of the Boots stores I have been in are bigger and all of them have a security guard near the exit door. One of the Boots I have used on the High Street is in a village and they even had a security guard.
I do not think it is a good idea to confront a shoplifter yourself as you do not know what their reaction could be
and they could become violent causing you some injury.
In my express tesco a few weeks ago a young man tried stealing food but some staff had seen him so they went to the exit where the security was standing and about four of them confronted him whereby he threw the items at the men and was told get out and do not come back.
He was lucky they did not detain him and call the police.

Pre lockdown there were thousands + working under the radar and not on any system
How do they survive now? Stealing anything that isn’t nailed down ?

annsixty

I imagine that aftershave which appeared to be all he took, would be sold on a market stall for Fathers Day which is coming up.

Of course!

My first thought was that he was going to drink it.

I would have spoken very loudly and told the young man to put the goods back. Other people would have turned to look at him, and you could, if you had your phone with youhave taken a photo of him or pretended to.

With a bit of luck, he would have dropped his loot and run

It's awful though, isn't it? Honest types like us pay more for things because of these bad 'uns. I expect experienced thieves know exactly when the shop is short staffed due to tea breaks and lunch times and whether a corner lacks CCTV so they can get away with it.

I once saw a woman drop some earrings into her bag when another shopper had asked for help in a changing room, thus luring an assistant away from the counter. Working in league perhaps? I was very young then and it was the first time I'd seen anything like this, my blood ran cold.

I imagine that aftershave which appeared to be all he took, would be sold on a market stall for Fathers Day which is coming up.

Btw you shouldn't be expected to do anything! Staff aren't even supposed to confront thieves in case they get whacked or worse. They are supposed to approach and say di they need a basket, did they accidentally put it in their bag but are trained to stand off if the thief becomes hostile. It just isn't worth it. The violence directed towards retail staff is something that never seems to be covered in the news, does it?

One of my friends works on customer services in a well known supermarket and she said it is AWFUL atm for people stealing. She said they are even working in groups to overwhelm the security. She thinks it's because of the pandemic and lock downs etc

It’s maddening though isn’t it, how shoplifters ‘get away with it’

Aftershave. Not like it was food to feed his hungry children.

I just don’t know how people have the brass neck to do it.

I pointed out some shoplifters to the manager of a co-op supermarket. His response: leave it, it’s more trouble than it’s worth and nothing will come of it

I would have done no differently annsixty. Reported it and given a description. It is not safe to confront people who are stealing as you don't know if they would have had a knife or not and if the shop worker said nothing would be done, she is probably right. This is why many stores have security men. You were right.

I am almost 84 and can’t move well at all and most certainly couldn’t and wouldn’t intervene.
Did the shop assistant expect you to take him down in a flying rugby tackle, annsixty?

Never mind CCTV, you'd have been on the national news!

Apart from anything else, if it all happened quite quickly and blatantly, you would be so shocked you would maybe think “Was he a staff member or something?” and by the time you realised it would be too late to alert anyone.

Did the assistant expect you to challenge him and block his exit?

My daughter works in a large well known store and is often alone on the till with one other member of staff in the whole large store thieving goes on regularly but even when the staff know they only confront someone when they are sure of back up from other staff and who could blame them. Thieves know they are unlikely to be challenged at certain times.

What would you have done?

I have witnessed shoplifting on more than one occasion and did not tackle the shoplifter but reported it to the staff as soon as I could.
Presumably they have CCTV.

Sadly, it happens a lot and the cost of it is factored in to what we pay for goods.