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Should All Shoplifters Be Prosecuted?

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Should every shoplifter be prosecuted? 🚨

Norfolk's Chief Constable is cracking down on all thefts, no matter the value, with a 31.7% prosecution rate. Most forces haven’t penalized thefts under £200 in the past decade. What do you think?

Source: www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crmw8w83pzdo

SamGoodship
a week ago
What do you think of this?+20 points
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Leannexxx

I believe they should but in all honesty it will cost to much to do it

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SamGoodship
LD Team

Leannexxx A good point you have raised.

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PhilipMarc

I asked a security guard what he and the rest do when they see shoplifters, and told me they'll try to ask him to leave the stuff behind and exit the store.

If the shoplifter gets hostile, try to deescalate or call the police to handle it so... Not too much guarding they're doing, but they also are defenseless (no means of protecting themselves) so there isn't much they can truly do.

Anyway, yes, but they probably will get away.

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SueWard

Yes, they should.If there is no fear of prosecution, the thieves will take what they like when they like.Imagine owning a shop and having to put up with thefts on a daily basis.

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Jerseydrew

Yup definitely a crimes a crime. It effects everyone as prices go up

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Imnotcheap

I think it's a good idea to deter thieves. People believe they will get away with it

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JLouM

Yes they should but in reality probably won’t. Definitely a criminal record.

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PayItForward

It depends for me… if someone is stealing food to survive - no. They should be given help. If they are stealing because they have money and don’t want to pay, yes!

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PRETTIEST

PayItForward How will they work that out?

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BonzoBanana

Any shop theft should result in prosecution but we need punishments that are actually a deterrent. People should have benefits taken away if they steal and the punishment maybe a ball and chain on their legs and forced to work in fields, picking crops etc and the punishment should be how much work they have achieved so depending on how much work they have done will effect when their punishment ends. It must get to a point where they will not commit crime because the punishment is such a strong deterrent.

Farcical soft punishments don't work which is why the prisons are full with a huge number of repeat offenders and a huge number of repeat offenders for minor crimes are free who don't risk prison at all nowadays. Violent shoplifters should simply be shot/tazaared/bludgeoned on sight when they attack someone as long as there is video evidence showing they are putting other people's lives at risk. Ultimately these people are scum and a lower form of life without morality and while I'm not a religious person we need to get back to a more black and white focused attitude to crime rather than blur the definition and excuse these vile people otherwise we end up with anarchy which is pretty much what we are heading for now.

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Leannexxx

BonzoBanana you do realise that not just people on benefits steal ??? I understand you have a issue with people on benefits but it's not all their fault

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BonzoBanana

Leannexxx I have zero problem with people on benefits generally but if the state is providing you with financial assistance it doesn't seem unfair as part of that you sign a contract of good behaviour and any criminal activity denies you those benefits.

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martinlufc5637

I have said before that my mother in law works in a Sainsbury's mini supermarket and shoplifting there is out of control, they just walk in now and take stuff, when they phone the police they very rarely show up

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janphoenix51

martinlufc5637 , yes & I have also mentioned on posts about shoplifting that my 60 year sister has worked for the Co op since she was 16, she worked at the Co op in Sheffield where that Cannabis smoking thug almost hacked a police woman to death, these staff risk their lives...

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martinlufc5637

janphoenix51 yes they do risk their life's, she's had a knife pulled on her and has been spat at countless times, I fear for her safety

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janphoenix51

martinlufc5637 ..I fear for my sister, she could get ambushed on her walk home from work by some low life she's had to deal with in the Co op she works at.

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Mango4

In theory yes, but the reality is it will probably cost more in police and courts time than, the amount stolen.

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PRETTIEST

Mango4 Yes but eventually it will pay off because shoplifting will decrease if they actually carry through with this

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shivy2

Yes

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hillmary615

I was in a Herons store and saw a shop lifter stealing from the store and I told one of the assistants and she just stood there and did nothing. I was brought up to know that it was wrong to steal from anywhere. Even when I have had no money, I wouldn't do it.I know a lot do it to sell on and the money they get to buy drugs,alcohol. It's a sad society we live in today.

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Leannexxx

hillmary615 things are that bad now people are doing it for food to eat and sell something for gas and electric I went to a Aldi that I don't normally go too and everything I mean everything was locked up in an alarm box it's madness

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zygh4v6269

Absolutely

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PRETTIEST

Yes more and more people are shoplifting because they can get away with it

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Paulyousef28

Well if they look like they local then they will probably get away with it but to be fair they should all be prosecuted since shoplifting is another word for stealing theft

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ValerieParsons

Absolutely yes , why should crime pay ? And prices go up in shops for decent people that pay and then end up paying more to cover the cost of what people steal . It will just get worse if they are not stopped

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jamesrobertkerr

Only if the thieves are white, obviously.

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PRETTIEST
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hspexy

Perhaps they ought to consider other types of punishment? Maybe public shaming? Otherwise, it’s now just a sport

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PRETTIEST

hspexy Maybe just a little fine, just so that they realize they cant get off scott free?

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janphoenix51

hspexy ...I was in Boyes in Sheffield yesterday & the shop assistant had a word with the 2 police patrolling the estate after having shop lifters in..

The police weren't much help & the shop assistant & her colleague were going to put the culprits faces on Social Media , I don't blame them, they are absolutely sick of shopifting.

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Pjran

Yes they should be prosecuted and forced to do community service.

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NanaP

Yes they should, because we pay fro there stealing on our weekly shop they have to make the shortfall somewhere, you can see it happening every day in some supermarkets and it needs to be stopped

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janphoenix51

Image...

Nathan Summers was the Cannabis smoking Axe Man who attacked police woman Lisa Bates after she was called to a domestic by a neighbour

My sister was left to clean up all the blood in the Co op afterwards..

Cannabis Smoking thug Summers was CLEARED of attempted Murder.

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Pjran

I don’t think our courts could cope with all those people. Maybe the police could give community service to those caught.

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joe007

What does my head in about shop lifters! Is the fact, the honest people end up paying! Cause the shops have to put their prices up on everything, to make up for the loses they occur from the shoplifter stealing all the time!

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BonzoBanana

joe007 Yes shops aim for a profit margin as a percentage and have to factor in shoplifting so if they work to a 5 percent profit margin then of course prices go up. I've not seen it analysed but I'm sure shoplifting is a factor in inflation as it seems to be getting worse and worse. The police have lost control in many areas as their hands are tied in many ways. Utterly incompetent politicians set the rules on how scum criminals can be treated which are far too lenient and of course the problems increases year by year.

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