Make a citizens arrest: The public should tackle shoplifters as police ‘can’t be everywhere,’ minister says
by insomnimax_99
Make a citizens arrest: The public should tackle shoplifters as police ‘can’t be everywhere,’ minister says
by insomnimax_99
42 comments
When I was earning minimum wage restocking the shelves in a wholesalers, there was no chance I was going to citizens arrest a shoplifter.
As a member of the public not even employed by the shop, you can guess what my chances are now.
There was a co op not far from me which had an armed robbery recently. They had shotguns.
>“The wider public do have the power of citizen’s arrest and, where it’s safe to do so, I would encourage that to be used because if you do just let people walk in, take stuff and walk out without proper challenge, including potentially a physical challenge, then again it will just escalate.
If **I** let shoplifters take stuff, it will just escalate?
Did this stupid fucking cunt, just imply it’s the publics fault if crime gets worse due to the police being next to useless, in part due to our government being entirely useless?
>“While I want the faster and better police response, the police can’t be everywhere all the time.”
Are they anywhere? They don’t investigated break-ins, thefts, shoplifting, or any crime committed in the past last time I heard?
——–
>In Co-op stores, shoplifting has reached record levels, with an average of nearly 1,000 incidents each day in the first half of this year – an increase of 35%.
>Mr Philp also hailed supermarket chain the Co-op for training security guards and staff in its stores how to intervene against thieves.
In my local Co-op, they have removed all the baskets, because shop lifters keep just filling them up and walking out with them.
Protect the consumerism!
Why the fuck am I going to get stabbed to stop someone stealing from a corporation?
“Big Society” policing. There is a real growing sense of declinism in the country now. Not enough police, can’t build railways or new nuclear, health system becoming worse, lack of maintenance in schools. A general air of a country that is slowly slipping back.
Ah yes, vigilantes, that’s how all developed societies solve their problems …
>The wider public do have the power of citizen’s arrest and, where it’s safe to do so, I would encourage that to be used because if you do just let people walk in, take stuff and walk out without proper challenge, including potentially a physical challenge, then again it will just escalate.
How about no? I don’t care if the local Tesco loses a tenner in stock. In fact, I *so* don’t care that I’m not willing to risk my personal safety to prevent that loss. There. I said it.
Besides the risk of physical harm to yourself, if you injure the poor little darlings you may be arrested
I think that if they change the law so that people arresting have immunity from prosecution that may help.
Personally I’d allow shopkeepers to shoot them.
What a dangerous thing to say. Now we’ll have idiots attacking shoplifters because they think they’ve got the official go-ahead from the government.
No, how about you sort the police out and invest in actually doing what your government are meant to do?
The fuck am I going to confront someone not knowing if they’re a junkie, a klepto, or have hungry kids at home, for the sake of the profits of Tesco.
I’ve worked security jobs on and off for the past 15yrs. In no way shape size or form would I get involved in this vigilantism. One mistake and youre in cells for years.
Yea fuck off mate, not worth getting punched or stabbed to save a company that made a couple of billion pounds in profit, a tenner in lost stock.
[removed]
Maybe large shops should be more productive in stopping it happening in the first place. Why are high value electrical products stored on the shop floor when they know full well people just fill a trolley up and walk out with 5 TVs. When you consider about half the stock is just thrown out due to an expired date I couldn’t care less about food being stolen.
What are we paying taxes for then? If the public is now expected to just fill the gap, I want my taxes back.
While I wholly endorse those who are brave enough to tackle crime – I also abhor the world we live in that first of all anyone would even be _asking_ for Joe or Jane average to tackle a criminal.
While I fully appreciate the efforts some go to do this, it shouldn’t be necessary at all – the Government is the one to blame for this, 100%. This is no different than their moves to introduce Special Constables – it’s cheap/free labour that was a bump to keep the Police functioning after they’ve gutted it with cuts.
We have a country where tabloids will push a false narrative missing context all in the name of lambasting the Police – to what end? It doesn’t end up with anything productive except for constantly widening the gap of public trust in a service that has a majority of good workers who then have to face a public that don’t trust them, don’t want them, but simultaneously complain they aren’t “there”.
Why would anyone want to be a Police Officer? Much less a Paramedic or work in the services to any degree when they’re paid absolute crap, had the government ream their pensions and use them as a political tool and punching bag?
It’s like being the school bully and nicking a whole years lunch money then beating them up every day, stealing their snacks and scuffing them up, then complaining they aren’t performing well and making the year look bad in school photos and declining grades.
The Police aren’t solely and largely to blame for crime not being handled, or investigated – anyone who does is a fool for following a pack of lies and finger-pointing from the exact people responsible for removing more and more funding every year, gutting their numbers like a freshly slain Deer and holding their hands up with the public to decry their “incompetency”.
No, it’s not – it’s PTSD, stress, unrealistic goals, an inability to do anything that doesn’t get dragged up by the press 5 minutes later because some idiot on TikTok made a short clip that has zero context and tries to make out every last member of Police Staff is Racist, a Rapist, a Bully, Incompetent or otherwise awful – despite it turning out to be completely false because the full-length video they then pretend doesn’t exist shows it to be a bunch of kids or teens being idiots.
If the government weren’t a predominantly awful bunch of money-grabbing, selfish, greedy and self-serving wazzocks who actually operated to improve the quality of life for everyone rather than stuffing their own (or mates) pockets, we’d be much better off.
But no – follow the media narrative, blame the police as a whole for _everything_. There’s absolutely zero attempts for reform, nobody wants to admit they cut the funding and numbers which is _why_ most problems exist and instead keep beating the dead horse pretending that’ll help.
Alternative cynical phrasing
Minister says “public should be vigilantes”
Police are there to prevent crime as much as solve it. They’re there as part of the justice system. Much as the public have a part to play in reporting this too, this kinda now just lays bare at how fewer beat bobbies there are. Lest this be reversed or halted, we risk becoming a lawless society.
Store staff aren’t going to risk their lives for minimum wage job they can walk out of and walk into another minimum wage retail job. Public aren’t going to intervene for shoplifting because who’s going to potentially risk their safety over petty theft?
Nah mate. I’m not protecting shareholders profits simply because the police can’t be arsed to.
Chris Philp is a complete moron. I am not going to put myself in physical danger with no protection or backup for the sake of a bottle of booze or whatever.
This government is painfully useless and we’re all just sitting and waiting for an election while they break everything on the way out
I bet Chris Philp fucking doesn’t. People are meant to take time out of their day to perform a citizens arrest, call the police (who can’t be everywhere) then what? I don’t want to be a classic misery but if I sat on a petty shoplifter and injure them I’d worry it would be *me* the police come down heavily on.
bruh. I’m not risking my neck for someone yoinking a £5 marks and sparks steak and kidney pie. No matter how delicious it is. How dare they actually suggest this. Where are my taxes going if not for funding a policing force. Holy shit, the UK is an embarrassment. What started this decline?
Can we use police brutality as well???
Asking for a friend….
Not getting stabbed to line the ceos pockets of tescos
Can we citizens arrest that Baroness that stole 1/4 billion pounds?
Shall we start bringing back those blue police boxes they had in the 50s?
I worked in retail for 5 years, and on many occasions security had to let shoplifters go, because the police never showed up. On one occasion the boss was so fed up with the police never showing up, he instructed security to hold a shoplifter in the holding room until the police arrived. The police did finally arrive….4 hours after they were called.
I can think of about 352 people more in need of arrest than a shoplifter.
Just for a moment pretend I had any intention of policing shop lifters etc, and you’ll need to pretend it hard.
I’m not trained on how to make a citizens arrest.
What do I have to say?
What do I have to do?
How am I permitted to prevent them leaving?
I’m pretty well trained in self defence but most people aren’t going to feel safe in a confrontation.
What protections do we have against false accusations? Aye we going to get arrested and interviewed at the station?
This isn’t a trivial thing they’re talking about, with potential adverse consequences for everyone involved.
I ain’t risking myself for Morrison’s profit margin.
If you see someone shoplifting food, no you fucking didn’t. Especially in current times.
Would the minister encourage these same citizens arrest corporate bosses for breaking tax laws .
That’s bonkers – giving right wing nutjobs a carte blanche to be vigilantes is not a great idea.
I’m going to cosplay as Judge Dredd and patrol the supermarkets so shareholders don’t lose their dividends!
No we shouldn’t
Why risk it? What’s the benefit to me?
Remember folks: if you saw someone shoplifting food – no you didn’t.
Telling people to risk their lives when to get someone a 6 month suspended sentence.
Wtf are they thinking?
Yeah get fucked
I’m not getting stabbed by some fucking junkies stealing 8 cans and a bottle of wine.
* having a properly funded and competent police force: 👎
* vigilante justice: 👍
The supermarkets are profiting from the cost of living crisis, we are paying too much for groceries and fuel. They are not concerned about stealing from us. I am not going to take risks to stop people stealing from them.
Let their shareholders volunteer as security staff and protect their dividends.
The logical end point to Cameron’a big society model. Let charities replace social services. Now let vigilantes replace the police. Fucking clown shoes. I was a Tory once, never fucking again. Just insane. They are fucking insane. We are starting to reach rock bottom here. Labour are fucked and even if only a slight improvement i will take it. Maybe they will just be incompetent without the corruption element. I miss those days.
No thanks. Pretty sure the store should have insurance for shit like that. Besides, I’m turning a blind eye of I see someone stealing food in our current economic climate.
Asking the public to risk injury to stop people robbing corporations is demented. Fix the institutions don’t ask the public to become vigilantes, this isn’t Gotham City.