A shopkeeper in Durham expressed concern that community resolutions for theft are sending the wrong message to potential criminals. After a thief casually stole a crate of beer, he was only required to pay restitution without a criminal conviction, raising concerns over deterrence. The shopkeeper, Andrew Board, indicated that thefts occur frequently at his store, leading him to enhance security measures such as CCTV and to remove high-value items from shelves. National data reveals that only a small percentage of theft reports result in significant punishments.
A person then knows that they can steal as they wish, and if they get caught, they would just have to pay for the goods then. This is a wrong signal and fuels the problem.
Under the solution, the offender paid back the money for the beer and was then banned from the entering the shop, which Mr. Board believes did not serve as a true punishment.
Mr Board has had to make multiple citizen arrests and enhance the CCTV system within the shop as a result of thefts, indicating a rising concern over shoplifting.
Home Office data analysed by The Independent showed just 18 per cent of reports of shop thefts led to punishment, highlighting an ineffective legal response to this issue.
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