So this is what we’ve come to as a society, perhaps the question is where are we going next? I’m not a negative person by nature but really, this is gloomy stuff!
3 Likes
My neighbour works in Tesco and was assaulted last week by a shoplifter. He was pushing her into the shelves throwing stuff about but nobody helped her.
Your right, it’s a sad state of affairs. 
1 Like
That’s awful… it’s being discussed on LBC at the moment, not very uplifting listening.
1 Like
The police/government are definitely not helping.
When the shops do catch a shoplifter and phone the police they’re often told to let them go. There’s no deterrent.
2 Likes
Why am i not surprised,i have seen this coming for along time.
No deterrent so will only go one way,especially in today`s financial crisis.
3 Likes
Indeed, some are very young, deemed not old enough to be charged. Mothers using buggies to take small items. 
1 Like
I think it’s a mainly big city problem, although we have some scallies around here I don’t hear of any blatant thievery by big groups of yobs, or Tesco staff members being assaulted here. Perhaps I just don’t hear about it, and I regularly chat to most of the staff in our local Tesco.
However, I couldn’t stand by and watch blatant pilfering or someone abusing staff.
After hearing about protesters tipping milk out on the floor elsewhere, I certainly wouldn’t stand by and watch.
Having said that though, we used to have a couple of security guards knocking around the store but they seem to have gone now. Not that they could catch a runner with a bottle of something, they were far too big to give chase. But if Tesco are saving money by no longer employing security they must accept some of the blame. Mrs Fox was a store detective by the way…She could bring down any robber with just one look…
1 Like
An old friend of mine used to work in the food hall department of a large shop. He was telling me that shoplifting was rife, not only rife but blatant. People would walk in an pick up choice cuts of meat, steaks etc and casually walk out.
There don’t seem to be enough police around to handle all the other forms of antisocial behaviour that seem prevelant these days let alone shoplifting, it’s the increase in violence that’s the really disturbing thing, a slippery slope!
3 Likes
Too many laws to protect the villains these days Chilli…
In my younger day they would be taken round the back of the store and given a kicking…
And some of the time that was by the local bobby…
2 Likes
Yep …no or very little fear of the consequences these days.
2 Likes
The levels of crime are appalling … and very, very scary for the staff:
Co-op Food managing director Matt Hood said retail crime was driven by “repeat and prolific offenders and, organised criminal gangs”. In the worst cases, he said it could even be described as “looting”.**
He pointed to “horrific incidents of brazen and violent theft” in stores which left staff feeling “scared and threatened”.
While the Co-op had “invested significantly” in security, he said “we need the police to play their part. Too often, forces fail to respond to desperate calls by our store teams, and criminals are operating in communities without any fear of consequences.”
The Co-op said one of its stores in inner London was “looted” three times in one day. “This level of out-of-control crime is unsustainable and could even see some communities become a no-go area for local stores,” it added.
One Co-op store manager in Leeds, David, said shoplifting had always been a problem but things had “really changed since the pandemic. It feels like these offenders can simply come in and take what they want - they live in our communities and do what they want, they steal your livelihood from you. They come in with bags, sacks or clothing which can conceal hundreds of pounds worth of stock - coffee, meat, spirits. They know the police don’t have the resource or, simply can’t attend quickly enough.”
2 Likes