Mark Murphy hits out at Suffolk shoplifters and abuse

Not only are we seeing shops close, but those that are left are facing an epidemic of shoplifting. It’s not just nicking the odd thing, in many cases it's organised gangs who are doing this and it's often-involving violence or threatening behaviour.

The figures out this week from the British Retail Consortium are truly shocking.

Shoplifting and abuse of retail staff has got to stop, says Mark

Violence and abuse against shop workers rose last year with an estimated 1300 incidents a day! That’s a 50% increase on the year before.

Nearly 9000 of these incidents resulted in injury to a member of staff.

They routinely face abuse, sometimes racial, sexual harassment, and threats with weapons.

This is totally unacceptable and it has got to stop.

It seems the punishments are not putting people off shoplifting at all.

Some retailers just seem to accept it’s going to happen.

Rather than spend on security staff, they don’t seem to care, and this just emboldens the thieves to carry on. If the deterrent isn’t there, they’ll just continue to steal with impunity.

Many shop owners and staff don’t now feel safe challenging these thieves in fear of their own safety, and who can blame them?

You can often see on social media other customers filming these thefts going on, rather than intervening. In some of these incidents, the thieves are so brazen they just don’t seem to care.

The BRC is saying the government’s response to this is “Woefully inadequate”. It found that the amount lost to shoplifting in 2023 was the highest figure ever recorded.

It’s now at epidemic levels. The industry group survey of its members found that theft had doubled to 16.7 million incidents a year which is up from 8 million the year before, costing retailers £1.8 billion.

I know times are hard for some people and some of this could be down to people being desperate, but not all of it.

There just don’t seem to be any consequences for those who are caught.

It’s interesting the things which have security tags on now, which clearly are the things nicked the most, not basic foods but more expensive items which could be flogged on.

Many staff are now wearing body cameras for their own safety.

Now shop workers are having to wear body cams like the police. What is the world coming to?

What sort of world are we living in today?

Yes, we’ve always had shoplifting but in the past the police would be called, and you’d be dealt with by the law but not now.

I don’t blame the police; they have so much more to deal with these days. We just need more of them. We’re paying more and more each year in Suffolk for our police, but they are still stretched. The courts should take a tougher stance on this too, if people are getting away with things like shoplifting, what else could they be emboldened to try next?

The thing is we’re all paying for this. Retailers will be passing these costs onto us, as if things aren’t expensive enough.

The chief executive of the British Retail consortium, Helen Dickinson said: “With over 1300 incidents a day the government can no longer ignore the plight of the ordinary, hardworking retail colleagues”.

She added: “Criminals are being given a free pass to steal goods and to abuse and assault retail colleagues”.

She’s right, we need to get a grip on law and order, we need more bobbies on the beat, more security staff, and more consequences for those who do this. If they get away with shoplifting today, what next?

For the safety of shop workers and shoppers this or the next government has got to look at this urgently and get a grip on the situation. I just hope they’re listening.