- A household of shopkeepers from Luton have been sending CCTV proof to police
- But police refuse to prosecute – as an alternative saying there may be ‘inadequate proof’
Thieves have grow to be more and more ‘brazen’ as a result of they know ‘nothing goes to occur’ with police, a shopkeeper has complained.
A shopkeeping household from Luton mentioned it had even handed police video proof on a £10 reminiscence stick of the shoplifters in motion – just for the police to do nothing.
Molly Patel owns two comfort shops which might be repeatedly focused by shoplifters.
But she has stopped reporting most incidents as a result of the method is time-consuming and costly, whereas police have by no means arrested a suspect.
Last yr her daughter Holly, who works as a supervisor, handed police CCTV of a suspect, in addition to their identify and deal with, solely to be advised there was ‘inadequate proof’ to proceed with the case.
Retail retailer homeowners Molly Patel and Holly Patel have mentioned the police refuse to prosecute even when they’re handed clear proof. Picture exhibits thieves grabbing objects from cabinets on the BP Fourways Garage and M&S Store, Cottingham Road, Corby
The businesswomen have even taken the step of posting footage of the thieves stealing together with their names and identification to police – solely to listen to there may be ‘inadequate proof’. Picture exhibits an incident involving a gaggle of masked males stealing alcohol from behind a grocery store counter in 2023
Entrepreneur Mrs Patel, who additionally owns a Hallmark reward store and Post Office within the city, would not make use of a safety guard (inventory photograph) as a result of it ‘would not deter anybody’
Holly, 33, has to buy a reminiscence stick, obtain incriminating CCTV onto it, and publish it by particular supply to Bedfordshire Police each time they need to report an incident.
The course of takes a number of hours and sometimes prices round £10 every time – and there’s no approach to merely add the knowledge through the web.
‘We’ve acquired photographs on the wall – a Wall of Shame – however they’re simply brazen as a result of they know nothing goes to occur to them,’ mentioned Mrs Patel, 61.
‘They are available and take what they need. The workers do stand as much as them and say “You’ve put something in your pocket”.
‘Sometimes you get it again however the majority of the time they simply say they’re taking it. What are you able to do?’
Widow Mrs Patel opened her first Molly’s Supermarket in Luton in 1992 and one other in 2002.
She employs round 35 folks and the companies get glowing on-line rankings from locals who store there.
But the shops common at the very least one shoplifting incident every week, with some folks sprinting away with baskets full of products.
More objects have been getting safety tagged by supermarkets in a bid to crackdown on the shoplifting epidemic
Holly mentioned: ‘It’s irritating and there is nothing you are able to do. I do know there are extra critical crimes however we’re making an attempt to run a enterprise and we’re shedding cash’. Picture exhibits inventory photograph of shoplifter
‘We do not do it as typically as we had been as a result of we do not get anyplace. We’re attending to the stage the place we’re pondering is there any level?’ mentioned Holly, whose brother Cory, 31, can be a supervisor on the shops.
‘It’s irritating and there is nothing you are able to do. I do know there are extra critical crimes however we’re making an attempt to run a enterprise and we’re shedding cash.’
Describing the police response after handing over a raft of incriminating proof in regards to the shoplifter in May final yr together with his identify and the place he lived, she added: ‘We heard nothing again from the police.
‘Then they rang about one thing else, so I mentioned ‘Because you are on the telephone are you able to inform me about this case?’ The individual I used to be chatting with advised me it mentioned ‘inadequate proof’ on the pc.
‘I mentioned ‘How are you able to inform me that? The one factor I have never completed is arrest him myself. I’ve completed every part else for you’. We’ve heard nothing since.’
The suspect, who’s well-known to different shopkeepers within the city, acquired away with round £60 of products, together with meat, power drinks and laundering merchandise.
Entrepreneur Mrs Patel, who additionally owns a Hallmark reward store and Post Office within the city, would not make use of a safety guard as a result of it ‘would not deter anybody’.
MailOn-line’s sister organisation, the Mail on Sunday, has campaigned for police to get powerful on shoplifting, which is costing £1 billion a yr.
Costs are finally handed on to prospects and store workers are left fearing for his or her security.
The crime epidemic in Britain’s outlets – which noticed the variety of unsolved shoplifting circumstances soar by a 3rd to 205,676 within the yr to July final yr, in line with Home Office knowledge – has prompted requires extra funding in frontline policing and harder sentencing.
Police forces have blamed tight budgets and the necessity to goal sources elsewhere.
Chief Inspector Mike Chand mentioned: ‘We have acquired eight studies of shoplifting within the Lewsey space during the last six months, which is considerably decrease than different areas in Luton – which is why we might name on store homeowners to report such incidents to us as typically as they happen, so we will take probably the most applicable motion.’
Chief Inspector Chand added officers from the Luton neighborhood policing workforce visited Mrs Patel’s store and others within the space on Wednesday morning ‘to offer reassurance on our activity, as well as crime prevention advice they can take to protect their stores’.
The drive has just lately begun Operation Belville which is meant to cut back retail crime throughout the county, he added. The scheme is focusing on the highest ten shoplifters and ‘utilizing ways like CCTV’.