Record levels of shoplifting are prompting shopkeepers to adopt desperate measures to protect their businesses. Retailers are investing in advanced security systems such as fog machines and high-tech barriers. Facing inadequate punishment for thieves, some retailers are taking exceptional actions, including making citizens arrests. Many high-value items are kept behind counters or removed from stock entirely. Data shows a surge in shoplifting offenses in England and Wales, with only a small percentage of offenders receiving jail time for their crimes.
Shopkeepers are investing in fog machines, enhanced CCTV systems, and security barriers to deter thieves amid rising shoplifting incidents. This trend is forcing some retailers to take extreme measures.
Business owners report they are being forced to restrict access to high-value items, frequently placing them behind counters or ceasing to stock popular products due to rampant theft.
Over a quarter of shoplifters are not handed jail sentences; average sentences are only two months. Many offenders receive minimal penalties lacking deterrent effects.
The latest data indicates that shoplifting offenses in England and Wales surpassed half a million for the first time last year, marking a significant increase.
Collection
[
|
...
]