Calling shoplifters ‘scumbags’ is offensive, warn police

31 comments

1. The police have to try and keep the community on their side.

   If the bloke had used swear words the police would have a point.

   But the police have to take a step back here and start thinking ‘Who are we here to help’.

2. The police are bloody useless. They’ll arrest people for being mean on the internet and tell storeowners they need to respect the people stealing from them, but are nowhere to be found when crime has been committed. There’s no reforming this system, it must be completely replaced.

3. The pathetic state of Policing paid for by the people is offensive.

4. They should investigate the person who complained, if they’re offended by the signs they must be a scumbag shoplifter themselves.

5. It’s now very common to hear people say, ‘I’m rather offended by that.’ As if that gives them certain rights. It’s actually nothing more… than a whine. ‘I find that offensive.’ It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. ‘I am offended by that.’ Well, so fucking what.”

   [I saw hate in a graveyard — Stephen Fry, The Guardian, 5 June 2005]

6. Shoplifters are scumbags. When shops close due to excessive theft then who’ll be blamed? If words are more offensive than an actual crime then the police are utterly redundant.

   Just give me my reduction in council tax if police are offended by the word scumbag to denote a criminal.

7. “I’m terribly sorry officer, but that man there had disrespected my profession, just because we are in direct competition. I should not be called ‘scumbag’, just because I have chosen freetail therapy. Please tell that shopkeeper to mind his languages as his words have caused great mental torment and made me feel prejudiced because I am in the minority of general society”

   Either the story is missing a number of steps and facts which happened, distorted the true story, or this is plain ridiculous.

8. Are we supposed to care that scumbags are offended?

9. What has happened to this country I remember when cops did their job and arrested criminals.

10. In the UK the prisons are bursting at the Seams but people think the police don’t arrest people.

11. Once again we mustn’t have many real problems in this country if this is what we prefer to yap about

12. Good. I want to offend them. Shoplifters are not a protected class

13. I bet these scumbag shoplifters are laughing their scumbag heads off at how the Police just allow them to carry on being scumbags.

14. Can we go back to a time before constant rage bait articles ffs.

15. Top work North Wales Police, what law has been broken here?

    “But officers from North Wales Police attended his retro shop in Wrexham and told him to take down the sign as it could cause offence.”

    Who exactly takes offence at the sign?

16. lol. And people always claim that UK and similar countries “have free speech” when they don’t.

17. Grow the fluff up if your out there pinching anything other than food for yourself or your family then yes. You well and truly are the scum.

    Shop lifting increases prices on consumers. Stupid cages around alchol and cheese ffs. Honestly laughable but at the same time very saddening to think you’d have to go to that extreme.

18. Alright, shoplifters are sub-human, is that better?

19. lol. Lmfao, even.

    Good to see the police doing the really important work of cracking down on the terrible crime of hurty words.

    Easy win for the cops – it counts as a crime solved. Community engagement, all that nonsense. The Chief Constable is probably writing up a power point presentation about it, as we speak.

    I guess ‘policing by consent’ now means that the only people who get policed are those that actively allow themselves to be policed. The shoplifter will just tell the cops ‘lol no’ and the cops backdown.

20. The police have time to visit people in numbers to point out offensive signs? 

21. ‘Causing offense’ is inherently subjective and should not be the basis for laws.

22. We had an incident around my area today. Police called and arrived within minutes. Bet thats not reported in the news because it doesnt suit a narrative

23. The shop owner said

    “I just wonder if that person was a shoplifter who was offended as it was detrimental to their work.”

    He added: “It is a freedom of speech thing. You should be able to speak freely in this country unless you are being derogatory.”

    Unless you are being derogatory? 🫠

    So he doesn’t support free speech.

    derogatory meaning: to express a low opinion of someone or something

24. The police don’t have time to actually address shoplifting, but they have time to act on a complaint that a shoplifter (because who else is going to complain? a shoplifter’s mum, maybe) makes against a shop they steal from!

    I mean, unless this story is a complete fabrication, that’s just completely ridiculous.

    And also, that sign is not contravening any law, is it? Some member of the public (likely a scumbag shoplifter) got offended? So fucking what. Offending someone is not a police matter. Especially if they deserve it.

25. Couple of police officers opinions isn’t necessarily nationwide news or opinion. A sign calling shoplifters scumbags isn’t causing any actual offences because no sane person would reasonably be offended of criminals being called scumbags.

    Let’s not shit our collective pants about the “state of policing” yet

26. [removed]

27. I never liked Sting why’s he getting involved with petty crime?

28. I’m sure the most British of the Brits will be well up for JD telling them to denigrate the underclass, especially when they realise how much underclass adopting a US-style industrial prison complex creates.

29. Statistically speaking, I wonder how many times ‘you couldn’t make it up’ needs to appear in a telegraph article before it becomes overwhelming likely that it is, in fact, completely made up?

30. F**K All will ever, ever work until a restorative justice model is rolled out, implemented and maintained

31. Labour have doubled down on silencing the victims of crime rather than tackling the actual crime

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