After the Riots - A new relationship between retailers and the police?

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MarkMandel

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Jul 15, 2011
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  • #1
    [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Looking at the aftermath of the London riots and a particularly bad week for Retailers I wonder if its time to reboot the relationship between Retailers and the Police?[/FONT]

    [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]As dramatic as the pictures were, of the entire contents of a shop being looted, the truth is that retail theft is a problem every day.[/FONT]


    [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]What the riots did was present the problem in a 24 hour news media friendly way. I mean when was the last time any 24 news channel reported on theft from retail?[/FONT]

    I am sure many shopkeepers are thankful for police actions over the last few days.

    [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Everyday theft happens from retailers and they complain that the police are not interested in dealing with these problems or protecting them. [/FONT]

    [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]So perhaps now its time to review what does retail want from the police?[/FONT]

    Retailers have some responsibility to protect their stock to lock the door, provide CCTV etc. I guess the question is where the balance should lie, should retailers really expect theft of a 10p sweet to have a police response?

    I would be really interested to hear your views and what you think the balance should be?
     
    papverpoppies

    papverpoppies

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  • #2
    MarkMandel said:
    [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Looking at the aftermath of the London riots and a particularly bad week for Retailers I wonder if its time to reboot the relationship between Retailers and the Police?[/FONT]

    [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]As dramatic as the pictures were, of the entire contents of a shop being looted, the truth is that retail theft is a problem every day.[/FONT]


    [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]What the riots did was present the problem in a 24 hour news media friendly way. I mean when was the last time any 24 news channel reported on theft from retail?[/FONT]

    I am sure many shopkeepers are thankful for police actions over the last few days.

    [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Everyday theft happens from retailers and they complain that the police are not interested in dealing with these problems or protecting them. [/FONT]

    [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]So perhaps now its time to review what does retail want from the police?[/FONT]

    Retailers have some responsibility to protect their stock to lock the door, provide CCTV etc. I guess the question is where the balance should lie, should retailers really expect theft of a 10p sweet to have a police response?

    I would be really interested to hear your views and what you think the balance should be?
    Click to expand...

    Yes, but (correct me if wrong) theft does get covered by your insurance, I know it puts up the premiums......but it would seem that some insurances are looking at ways of not covering the looting damage, putting it down to acts of terrorism, which are not covered.

    I am not a retailer, but I think the bulk of the responsibility has to remain with the owner, simply because relying on the Police is going to become more and more impossible, as their numbers are cut even further.

    I also suspect that when it comes to prioritising, the Police will view shop theft as low on their agenda, simply because they know that the time and effort they have to put into these cases, is not worth the effort - when considering the sentence the offender receives.

    So, in answer to your question, no, I do not think that anyone can expect the Police to put in an appearance for every reported case of theft.

    Perfect World of course.....but we are not living in one!;)

    Pops ~xx#
     
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    mhall

    mhall

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  • #3
    Surely we have different priorities?. I want the scumbag who is shoplifting to be charged and taught a lesson, simple as that.

    When we were last broken into, the police just wanted to put a hidden camera so they could catch them next time. They asked me to make sure that, if he came back, they would catch him doing as much damage as possible as they had a better chance of prosecution. "Just nicking a few things is no good to us, we want to see him smashing the till up at least". When he didn't come back they were very dissapointed and claimed it was because the camera wasn't hidden.

    They didn't seem to care or understand that the damage and the time spent waiting for forensics would hurt me more than him nicking £30 worth of stock. They seem to accept a slap on the wrist.

    Should I blame the police? - of course not, they have their hands tied by the liberal crap we now have. They, perhaps, have done their best under the rules they were given and the manpower they have, but I can't help thinking "zero tolerance" is the only thingthat will save us.
     
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    mhall

    mhall

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  • #4
    papverpoppies said:
    Yes, but (correct me if wrong) theft does get covered by your insurance, I know it puts up the premiums#
    Click to expand...


    and that's the answer to everything is it? "you are insured"

    Putting aside the pain and hassle of a claim, the increase in premiums, the "excess" (it was cheaper to replace the window than make a claim) the fact that you are insured is irrelevant.
     
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    mhall

    mhall

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  • #5
    MarkMandel said:
    should retailers really expect theft of a 10p sweet to have a police response?
    quote]


    Yes yes and YES.

    Years ago you would have got a dressing down from the local bobby and a clip round the ear, followed by a belt from your Dad. In my case, aged seven I was forced by my Mum to return the 2p eraser I had stolen in front of a shop full of neighbours and forced to apologise in floods of tears, before being marched home and sent to bed with no tea for shaming the family.

    I have never forgotten that day and I still cringe when I think of it but have never stolen a thing since.
    Click to expand...
     
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    papverpoppies

    papverpoppies

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  • #6
    mhall said:
    Surely we have different priorities?. I want the scumbag who is shoplifting to be charged and taught a lesson, simple as that.

    When we were last broken into, the police just wanted to put a hidden camera so they could catch them next time. They asked me to make sure that, if he came back, they would catch him doing as much damage as possible as they had a better chance of prosecution. "Just nicking a few things is no good to us, we want to see him smashing the till up at least". When he didn't come back they were very dissapointed and claimed it was because the camera wasn't hidden.

    They didn't seem to care or understand that the damage and the time spent waiting for forensics would hurt me more than him nicking £30 worth of stock. They seem to accept a slap on the wrist.

    Should I blame the police? - of course not, they have their hands tied by the liberal crap we now have. They, perhaps, have done their best under the rules they were given and the manpower they have, but I can't help thinking "zero tolerance" is the only thingthat will save us.
    Click to expand...


    Like I said 'in a perfect World' then all of this and more would be at our fingertips.

    In many rural areas, we have NO local police stations, by the time they get to you, if they ordain to come out, the offender has long since fled.

    I do not think it is a case of them not caring (not all of them) but what lesson can today's penal system teach a thief - not much I would have thought. Other, then to make sure not to get caught next time.

    As with your house, your car, your life even, it is up to each of us to try and protect ourselves, so I do not see a business being any different..in fact does not your insurance make you do as much as possible to protect your premises and stock.

    I did not say I did not want the person who steals to be dealt with, (of course I do) but that is not what you asked in your posting:|

    There was a programme some time ago, on one of the shopping centres in Leeds.
    One young girl was basically banned from that centre, because she had so many shop lifting convictions.........but still she went back and back.
    The police basically said they needed an officer full time 'just for her alone'!
    Multiply the likes of her up and down the country, and you can begin (I hope) to see and understand the extent of the problem.

    Pops ~xx~
     
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    papverpoppies

    papverpoppies

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  • #7
    mhall said:
    and that's the answer to everything is it? "you are insured"

    Putting aside the pain and hassle of a claim, the increase in premiums, the "excess" (it was cheaper to replace the window than make a claim) the fact that you are insured is irrelevant.
    Click to expand...

    Why did you start this thread asking for views....if all you are going to do, is slap them down:|

    Pops ~xx~
     
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    MarkMandel

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  • #9
    Did you know, that in the case of a riot (which has a strict definition) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14475721 that if insured the insurance pays the shopkeeper and the insurance company can claim the money back from the Police Authority under a law from the 1800's! Who pays the Police Authority -> you!

    If you are not insured then you can also claim from the Police Authority (but again only in the case of a riot)!
     
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    Evesoffspring

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  • #11
    We were talking today at work about how shop keepers could protect themselfs and I said it's a shame pepper spray is not legal ?
    Our little graduate trainee piped up "oh I carry Farb spray in my bag !"
    I've looked it up and it is a UK legal spray that delivers a red dye it's 100% non toxic and does not wash off easily!
    I think it could be a handy little thing to have under your till
     
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    James1980

  • #13
    An officer shows up maybe 10 minutes later, and I describe the girls to him. Two teenagers, lip and nose piercings, one had strawberry blonde hair, the other had brown hair. I added in, as an after thought, that they probably had blue tongues from the blue-raspberry Italian ices. The cop laughed it off, but one of my waitresses said,

    "No, really, those ices dye your tongue blue for a few hours."

    http://www.reddit.com/r/self/comments/j7ej1/i_landed_two_teenage_girls_in_the_clink_today/
     
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