Shopliftting.

[Chippy_Tea]

It's almost like the police are completely underfunded and understaffed.

My question was why was the act changed in 2014 so theft under £200 became a summery offence meaning shoplifters avoid magistrates court, why not £20.

The change stems from the requirement in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 for any shoplifting offence less than £200 to be treated as a summary offence, which should be handled through a penalty notice fine of just £70 without the thief having to turn up at magistrates court.

 

[Clint]

What about repeat offences? Three and get chucked off the aqueduct I say!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

This is how we should deal with them -

Security staff should be able to detain them until the police arrive.

"You cannot shoplift here" - "Yea why not"

 

[Rodcx500z]

Can't touch em here

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Can't touch em here

The law should be changed what is the point in having store security if they cannot stop thieves?

 

[The Baron]

I can give you a prime example of the police not wanting to get involved(can't be bothered) because it causes too much paperwork).
A security guard was threatened and attacked in store by a shoplifter and obviously defended himself so the police said no action should be taken or they would have to arrest the security guard for assault too for defending himself (only doing his job of trying to detain the shoplifter while the police arrived)
As I have already said the police are as much to blame as the cutbacks in services as they think it is one less menial job for them to do and that's why there is a epidemic of unruly criminal shoplifters which is driven and controlled by bigger fish than the shoplifters they are just the foot soldiers.
IMO the police are complicit in the rule of law breaking down on our streets.

 

[Clint]

This is how we should deal with them -

Security staff should be able to detain them until the police arrive.

"You cannot shoplift here" - "Yea why not"

Should have knocked her teeth out,nasty cow.

 

[Rodcx500z]

There are no shop lifters in Sudia Arabia

 

[Clint]

No pubs either.

 

[Leon103]

My question was why was the act changed in 2014 so theft under £200 became a summery offence meaning shoplifters avoid magistrates court, why not £20.

The change stems from the requirement in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 for any shoplifting offence less than £200 to be treated as a summary offence, which should be handled through a penalty notice fine of just £70 without the thief having to turn up at magistrates court.

Summary doesn't mean they don't go to magistrates court. 6 months jail for summary

 

[Kit-brewer]

My question was why was the act changed in 2014 so theft under £200 became a summery offence meaning shoplifters avoid magistrates court, why not £20.

The change stems from the requirement in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 for any shoplifting offence less than £200 to be treated as a summary offence, which should be handled through a penalty notice fine of just £70 without the thief having to turn up at magistrates court.

These are seen in Magistrates Court. It means they just dont/can't be sent upto Crown Court.

Whoops should have read down to the end of the thread, Leon said the same!! Lol

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Summary doesn't mean they don't go to magistrates court. 6 months jail for summary

So why does it say should?
which should be handled through a penalty notice fine of just £70 without the thief having to turn up at magistrates court.


Something is obviously wrong when people will do this in broad daylight -

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Suspects steal grocery carts full of items in Oxford

 

[Kit-brewer]

So why does it say should?
which should be handled through a penalty notice fine of just £70 without the thief having to turn up at magistrates court.


CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Suspects steal grocery carts full of items in Oxford

For first offences
Anyone who has any sort of record will come through the court system.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Only 7.6 per cent of the 57,000 shoplifting offences or one in every 13 of the crimes reported to the Met last year resulted in a charge or an out-of-court resolution.

Why are shoplifters not being prosecuted?​

The change stems from the requirement in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 for any shoplifting offence less than £200 to be treated as a summary offence, which should be handled through a penalty notice fine of just £70 without the thief having to turn up at magistrates.

One former Scotland Yard detective said that the downgrade had given a green light to police to abandon prosecutions and investigations into such thefts, which could tie up an officer for six to eight hours when they could be tackling more serious crime.

He said in 2021: "The government has effectively decriminalised shoplifting. Provided a thief stays below the £200 threshold, they are not going to be arrested. Police won't be called and the worst they get is a fixed penalty of £70 and they are still in profit with £130."

Retailers are now calling on the government to outlaw attacks on retail workers specifically.

BRC chief executive Dickinson added: "It's time the government put their words into action. We need to see a standalone offence for assaulting or abusing a retail worker, as exists in Scotland.

"We need government to stand with the millions of retail workers who kept us safe and fed during the pandemic – and support them, as those workers supported us."

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/new-figur...=Only 7.6 per cent of,out-of-court resolution.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

For first offences
Anyone who has any sort of record will come through the court system.

So you cover your face and rob a shop to the value of £200 and keep doing it in different shops and areas until you get caught then stop, hardly a deterrent is it.

As it says in my post above -
One former Scotland Yard detective said that the downgrade had given a green light to police to abandon prosecutions and investigations into such thefts, which could tie up an officer for six to eight hours when they could be tackling more serious crime.

 

[Clint]

More serious crime like catching people driving at 21mph.

 

[Kit-brewer]

Tbh, as a magistrate, I see low value shoplifting every time I'm in court. Anything from £20 upwards.
But all crimes are under-reported, and under-prosecuted.

So you cover your face and rob a shop to the value of £200 and keep doing it in different shops and areas until you get caught then stop, hardly a deterrent is it.

As it says in my post above -
One former Scotland Yard detective said that the downgrade had given a green light to police to abandon prosecutions and investigations into such thefts, which could tie up an officer for six to eight hours when they could be tackling more serious crime.

 

[Leon103]

Only 7.6 per cent of the 57,000 shoplifting offences or one in every 13 of the crimes reported to the Met last year resulted in a charge or an out-of-court resolution.

Why are shoplifters not being prosecuted?​

The change stems from the requirement in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 for any shoplifting offence less than £200 to be treated as a summary offence, which should be handled through a penalty notice fine of just £70 without the thief having to turn up at magistrates.

One former Scotland Yard detective said that the downgrade had given a green light to police to abandon prosecutions and investigations into such thefts, which could tie up an officer for six to eight hours when they could be tackling more serious crime.

He said in 2021: "The government has effectively decriminalised shoplifting. Provided a thief stays below the £200 threshold, they are not going to be arrested. Police won't be called and the worst they get is a fixed penalty of £70 and they are still in profit with £130."

Retailers are now calling on the government to outlaw attacks on retail workers specifically.

BRC chief executive Dickinson added: "It's time the government put their words into action. We need to see a standalone offence for assaulting or abusing a retail worker, as exists in Scotland.

"We need government to stand with the millions of retail workers who kept us safe and fed during the pandemic – and support them, as those workers supported us."

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/new-figures-reveal-huge-jump-in-uk-shoplifting-crimes-103008078.html#:~:text=Only 7.6 per cent of,out-of-court resolution.

I don't think we can judge the rest of the country based on the Met or one retired detective.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I don't think we can judge the rest of the country based on the Met or one retired detective.

Shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales have risen to the highest level in 20 years. More than 430,000 offences were recorded last year - up by more than a third than the previous 12 months to December 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Shoplifting hits record high in England and Wales - BBC News​