A police boss was branded ‘out of touch’ for telling shopkeepers to report thieves – because officers often fail to show up.
Jon Cummins, the Assistant Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, advised store owners to dial 999 rather than tackle the offenders themselves.
But officers regularly do not attend the scene and instead tell victims to file a report online. These are usually ignored, leaving shopkeepers defenceless to crime.
Mr Cummins told the BBC: ‘If they see someone shoplifting, my advice to them is they must call us. If they see it, they should immediately call us on 999 and not intervene.’
His comments clashed with those of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, who said that there is no real purpose behind arresting shoplifters as the courts just set them free.
Katy Bourne told The Daily Telegraph: ‘There is no point arresting shoplifters if there is no effective deterrent.’
The lack of clarity from police over how to tackle shoplifting has left many shop owners in despair.
Samantha Baker, 31, who owns the gift shop Refine & Design in Yeovil, Somerset, told The Mail on Sunday Mr Cummins ‘does not know how bad it is’.
She said: ‘If you call the police, they are not turning up. It is shocking. I pay my taxes for the police to do their jobs, and they won’t.’
Jon Cummins, the Assistant Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, advised store owners to dial 999 rather than tackle the offenders themselves
Katy Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, said there was no real purpose behind arresting shoplifters – as the courts just set them free
The row over shoplifting intensified last week when Labour’s policing minister Dame Diana Johnson was accused of ‘victim blaming’ by asking shopkeepers to conceal high-value goods
The number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales has passed half a million for the first time, figures show
The row over shoplifting intensified last week when Labour’s policing minister Dame Diana Johnson was accused of ‘victim blaming’ by asking shopkeepers to conceal high-value goods.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘The policing minister’s comments were staggering.
‘She is saying that law-abiding shopkeepers should have to cover for the explosion of shoplifting which she is presiding over.’
Dame Diana’s views contrasted with those of Matthew Barber, the Police and Commissioner for Thames Valley, who called on the public to step in when they see a crime.
Last night, he said: ‘It is disappointing the policing minister of all people does not see the importance of a strong community in preventing crime.
‘We have a long tradition of policing by consent in this country. That means the police upholding the law and common values that spring from the community.
‘The public should feel empowered to report crimes they see in front of them and be able to call out criminal behaviour knowing the police and courts are on their side.’
He was joined by Tim Passmore, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, who said: ‘I cannot understand the ambivalent attitude that some forces seem to take, as it does nothing to improve confidence in policing.’
A grocery store boss is shaming suspected shoplifters by posting their CCTV mugshots in his shop window and on social media alongside scathing comments.
Suki Athwal, co-owner of Shop Around The Clock in Tenterden, Kent, posted one image of a man who fled the shop after allegedly stealing two crates of Stella Artois, a pizza and a Pukka pie.
Mr Athwal, 30, said he found the man at a bus stop but was threatened when he demanded payment.
Alongside his Facebook post, he wrote: ‘I should be upset about this but the realisation that I’m not needing to drink a lukewarm can of Stella at 8.45am while waiting for a bus made me realise life isn’t so bad for me.’
Mr Athwal has been asked to take down mugshots due to the 2018 Data Protection Act. But he told The Times he still displays them occasionally as ‘a reminder that we’re watching’.
