Shopkeeper told off

Our local Neighborhood Watch group has put information on their Facebook page to say that the Police have informed them that if CCTV evidence is posted on line - as a video - it cannot be used in evidence at any subsequent trial, as jurors may have seen it and been influencd by it. However, a single clear frame from the video, if it shows someone's face, can be posted with a request for identification.

This happened in the town where I live. No name was mentioned on the poster so I think the shopkeeper was right. Why should the criminal have more rights than the victim?

I'm for the shopkeeper as well, it seems our society protects the perpetrators far more than the victims.

I'm with the shopkeeper on this. Well done him.

Far too often criminals, petty or otherwise, are the ones protected by the law, not the victims of the crimes they commit. It's wrong!!
I too support the shop keeper.

This is an horrific story and very scary for us all.

Have we got to the stage where criminals are no longer afraid of the police? If not, then once we do get to that point, well heaven help us all.

Diggingdoris I remember watching a programme about Oxford Street a few years ago and they had a system for warning each other about shoplifters in the area and they sent cctv to each other. The amount they lose, it would probably be worth paying any fines if they did breach the DPA which needs serious review.

The world is going crazy

I read that item as well, there were some cracking pictures of the thief.

I totally support this shop keeper,I'm sorry if you are going to break the law,you lose your human rights ,end of story!
This country has become ridiculous,we are so afraid of offending offenders,you make the choice to act as you do ,you must expect that people are not going to stand by and do nothing,I have enormous respect for our police,but they are just not doing much about these petty crimes.

You rarely see cops on the beat anymore! we live in a rural area on a farm,and used to have a officer who called in once a month,and we get a lot of crime.

We had someone I in our kitchen late one night ,we heard the door open and he was prowling around the kitchen,we rang 999, no show ,and were phoned up and given a incident number,a drunk driver drove a car Into our garden after midnight and ran of up our lane,no show another incident number.twice we have rung 101 both times no answer,after a hour of constant ringing,so people are trying to do something themselves.

Why should we just take it when someone decides they want what you have,and the police say you are wrong!
If you dont want your face all over the Internet, don't nick other people's stuff!

Gabriella can I ask why the CPS wouldn’t prosecute in this case?
Is CCTV evidence not admissible or what?
Or is it that because the shopkeeper distributed the images, it would prejudice a trial?

Too much support for thieves and other criminals and not enough for victims.

A builder near us had written, in large black letters on his white van, the names of people who owe him money fir work done and despite constant requests haven’t paid up.

Good for him.

We have a legal system to prevent vigilante behaviour..it is what civilised society does. I agree the thief needs catching & punishing but with the good evidence available the police would have dealt with it. Nobody, even a victim, is beyond the law.

Pity the ‘legal system’ is so inadequate then. I’m sure most of us are quite ‘civilised’ thank you PECS but somewhere between the Lynch Mob and leaving it all to the police there is much we can do for ourselves.

I’ve handed in dashcam evidence recently and DH once tackled a thief in a opticians ?.

Well said PECS.
Of course victims need support and protection but the important thing is that innocent people are not wrongly convicted.
If evidence is compromised, or due process not followed, that is more likely to happen.

In this case the theft and the thief are caught on camera and not likely to be ‘wrongly convicted’ though.

Common sense has to prevail. If the police can’t or won’t identify him because it’s low priority in their view, amd we’re hearing this more and more, then the shopkeeper is simply being pro-active. Chances are the thief sells the tablet to buy drugs, amd steals on a regular basis to support his habit.

There is no ‘of course victims need support and protection but’......about it in this instance. Society needs protection too.

The Police were wrong! As it was a public place and the camera(s) were visible, privacy is not an issue. Otherwise, the Police themselves would not be able to post photographs and CCTV of criminals.

'Old Meg' do not get me wrong. If I saw a theft in progress I would do what I could! My own DD chased a youth who was on a stolen bike and made him give it back!
In this case the shopkeeper should have given all evidence to the police. What if someone recognised the thief and tipped him off or beat him up? Either way would have been a bad outcome!