Labour: ‘Shameful neglect’ of shoplifting must end

https://www.thetimes.com/article/3667cd4f-5408-4614-a001-2f4c914e505f?shareToken=e2f9405db4d5e5926542d386a66463a5

Posted by Half_A_

19 Comments

  1. Oh yes. So Shameful that a certain previous government. Chose to let it get out of hand and exasperated the situation. By reducing the police, backing up the courts, failed to implement any meaning full rehab, cut the holy hell out of welfare then filled the prisons.

    But nope all Labour in the last 7 weeks that have not stopped it.

  2. TokyoBaguette on

    a – prisons are full so that’s that.

    b – If people steal food, stealing isn’t the problem.

  3. What are they going to do?

    Wave their fingers at them?

    Prisons are so full judges are being told not to give custodial sentences and “non-violent” prisoners are being released.

    Labour IS the government, they can’t talk like they’re in opposition anymore.

  4. AcademicIncrease8080 on

    Shoplifters commit the crime because there are no consequences. If you want to reduce shoplifting you need swift and harsh punishments – but Labour’s policy position on criminal sentencing is to make it more soft, not harsher.

    They don’t necessarily need to be sent to prison, but you do need some sort of guaranteed punishment with zero tolerance. Something like for every £10 worth of goods stolen you get 1 hour of community service – no ifs and no buts.

    I think it needs to get much worse before it gets better because there is absolutely no indication at the moment that anything resembling zero tolerance will be introduced. I feel really really sorry for shopkeepers that they’re being so abysmally failed by the state.

  5. parkway_parkway on

    Is it time to end the war on drugs?

    I mean a time when the prisons are overflowing, police are stretched thin, and … most importantly … every scienfitic review of the question keeps coming back saying the war on drugs has failed, street prices are lower than ever in real terms.

    We could get a bunch of tax revenue and free up police time and take a lot of revenue away from nasty criminal gangs and take a more liberal position that your body is yours.

    If it’s combined with a proper buildout of NHS mental heath and drug treatment services (paid for by the taxes on drugs) I think drugs would just become like alcohol where sure it causes some problems but it’s totally manageable.

    Or do we have to go another generation clinging to a stupid and failed policy foisted on us by “progressive” Christians after their war on alcohol went down in flames?

  6. How about making food cheaper for people instead of making record profits every year while crying about shoplifters. Then at least the poor people shoplifting just to eat might stop.

  7. The country is living in poverty and the government is surprised that people are stealing. If you see anyone stealing food, no the fuck you didn’t.

  8. There are far greater issues facing the country but it’s the corporates losing out a little that is Labour’s biggest concern.

  9. TheDiscoGestapo2 on

    Yeah – let’s focus on the profits of the multinational corporations who are scalping us, rather than try to solve the problem of people not being paid a fair wage and going hungry so they feel they have to steal.

  10. TouristEquivalent649 on

    Security guards must be given more powers to use stun guns and detain and give out heavy financial penalties

  11. Maybe if you hadn’t put laws in place that allow shoplifters to get away with it under a certain amount and also laws that allow the police to say they refuse to attend shoplifting calls from the stores. Then maybe stop firing guards when they are defending themselves or the staff within the shop. Then try not being on the criminal’s side in court and making out the guard to be the criminal one. Try teaching retail management to treat guards better and stop blaming them for every minor inconvenience and start understanding that the vast majority of the time it isn’t their fault if the shoplifter kicks off and causes a scene. And then try educating the general public that shoplifting isn’t some fucking Robin Hood act and that most of these people are not struggling, they’re just useless junkies that are too lazy to do anything else and think they should get a free ride through life. But let’s face it none of that will happen and it’ll only keep getting worse and that’s a damn shame.

  12. Maybe we should bring back stocks. After a week soaking in rotted fruit and veg being spat on by the locals might be enough to discourage them. Or chain gangs doing all the jobs Local Authorities can’t afford to do anymore. We need to make punishment discourage reoffending and I don’t think prisons achieve this with lesser sentences.

  13. If it was common for people to say ‘wow these prices are great’, then shop lifting might reduce down to the desperate few.