tackling shoplifters according to Kemi Badenoch

I was in M & S yesterday, this guy walked in & stole two shoulders of lamb & walked out. The security guard didn’t do a thing.
Probably didn’t want to be accused of being a racist.
I said wasn’t that his job to apprehend the thief, he said they were told just to let them leave.
Homebargains another one put a belt on & pulled his jumper down, didn’t even try & hide it. I told the woman on the till.
Did she say anything, did she hell.
No wonder our food prices are going through the roof.

With our lax attitude to criminality in this country I often wish I lived in Singapore where they know how to deal with people like that.

I find this thread unbelievable!

Colls

I find this thread unbelievable!

Why do that?

Why make a bold statement without context?

Mini-moron gives poor advice. Shoplifters may be carrying a knife. Don't risk it.

kemi is an idiot, she let's her mouth run without thinking.

Very silly idea. Others have mentioned, and I agree that you don't know whether or not they have a knife or are prepared to use violence. Not the role of a member of the public to intervene. Alert a member of staff but that's it

Cossy

Labradora

Being 6ft would be no help to her if the shoplifter had a knife and was prepared to use it.
I usually stand up for myself quite robustly.Like most people I don't like bullying and 50 years ago when I was first in London I remember intervening in a Tube carriage when a group of youngsters were being bullied by a small gang of something-or-others and after some forceful words from me they backed off.
No way would I do that now and not because I am 70-odd but because particularly if the antagonist is young , I would think they would be more likely to carry a knife.
Sorry I 've got nothing against the vast law abiding and pleasant majority of youngsters. Many of them have to carry a knife for self-defence as I understand it.

Your last sentence is utterly misleading.

If a “youngster” (or indeed anyone) is carrying a knife, it’s never for self defence, it’s to use!

Our last three AC are in their 20’s, they don’t carry knives, neither did they in their teens, nor did their peers.

Cossy,
I should have said "some" not many. I understand, anecdotally , there are groups of older schoolchildren who feel forced to carry knives "just in case".
I can't quote you serious statistics so perhaps I would have done better to keep my big mouth shut.
Also anyone carrying a weapon apparently is more likely to end up a victim of their own weapon so probably it doesn't work.
Dreadful that this happens at all.
😘💐

In the USA, they have a lot of stuff behind locked plastic doors and you have to ask for service to buy it. I don't see why we can't have entrances monitored by something with a gate to let you through once that has been done. At the exit, you should have to scan your receipt at a gate before you can leave or speak to staff if you haven't bought anything.

I have done it! I’m not strong or big.
However I cannot stand bye and watch it happening. My son caught one in London. Lad had stolen electrical equipment! Retrieved it for the owner chasing after him.
It can be done just have an understanding of when and how. We should all help out!

What a waste of my time at my time of life.

Jojo1950

What a waste of my time at my time of life.

What is?

I was in a sports shop the other week, & the shop assistant described what I bought via a radio to the guy on the door. Probably because I hadn’t taken a bag into the shop.
I always make sure I take a receipt off the assistant.

Jojo1950

I have done it! I’m not strong or big.
However I cannot stand bye and watch it happening. My son caught one in London. Lad had stolen electrical equipment! Retrieved it for the owner chasing after him.
It can be done just have an understanding of when and how. We should all help out!

Couple of our shops have closed in the town as they can’t afford the cost of shop lifting.
One shop owner told me when he called the police, the police person ended up hugging the drug addict. He said you couldn’t make it up & that’s when he decided to shut up shop.

Iam64

Kemi does herself no favours does she.

Shop lifting is at epidemic proportions. It needs police/retail to get together and work out a way of reducing, preventing theft. It doesn’t need members of the public feeling we ought to be front line preventative.

I couldn't agree more.
Surely technology and AI can provide a better solution to this problem.

Shoplifting has just become away of life for some people.They are not all Alcoholic and Drug Addicts.
They think they have the god given right to take stuff anytime they want without payment or punishment.

It is rife in my local Coop.

I would be willing to help out a Security Guard apprehend a shoplifter if needed because I was Martial Arts trained but that leaves me open to a charge of Assault by the Shoplifter if the Police charge me which can happen. We live in strange times!

pinkprincess

If security in shops are not allowed to confront shoplifters, why are they there?.Their wages have to be paid, as well as the shops loosing the stolen goods which contributes to the higher prices we have to pay,
My local Tesco express has big security men walking about trying to look intimidating but are useless?. My local Asda has a so called little security man sitting at a desk by the exit door staring into a screen while thieves walk past him with their loot and out of the door.

I agree and have seen it happen many times.It’s yet more evidence that the UK is in a bad state.Officials shrugging at lawlessness.

Basgetti

Don’t suppose her kids would thank her if mum was stabbed.

Also, if she does go in a shop & there's a shoplifting incident, all the other shoppers are going to alert her & expect her to tackle the offender.

She may live to regret saying this...

If staff are instructed not to approach shop lifters because of safety concerns then why the heck should a member of the public, this is a nonsense.

Iam64

What an interesting if draconian idea Chestnut

Hmm, I think card swiping at the door would work in some sort of shops like posh clothing or jewellery?
then you have the problem of stolen cards, so you woul have to enter the PIN number too and thats not something a lot would be keen on...

Wyllow3

Iam64

What an interesting if draconian idea Chestnut

Hmm, I think card swiping at the door would work in some sort of shops like posh clothing or jewellery?
then you have the problem of stolen cards, so you woul have to enter the PIN number too and thats not something a lot would be keen on...

We have to swipe the till receipt at the exit to our local Lidl.

My niece worked in a small local Boots. They would rush in grab all the perfume and run out. The glass cases were added - they just smashed them. Not a big enough one to employ security.

Boots closed this small shop altogether. It is why some chains, especially the "pound" ones are struggling as the high theft eats in to their very narrow margins.

They were told not to tackle.

My impulse would definitely be to intervene if I thought it would lead to an arrest etc. But when the shop staff just let them go and the police aren't acting, what's the point. I'd just make a fool of myself. I find the whole thing deplorable and utterly depressing!

Jojo1950

I have done it! I’m not strong or big.
However I cannot stand bye and watch it happening. My son caught one in London. Lad had stolen electrical equipment! Retrieved it for the owner chasing after him.
It can be done just have an understanding of when and how. We should all help out!

Perhaps you could let us know, how to guess which shoplifters are carrying a concealed weapon , or have taken drugs?

And what if you "hurt" a shoplifter and end up in court yourself? Or more likely end up in AE yourself.
We need more effective policing by police and security. But from reading all the posts that doesn't seem likely to happen.