British shops: fighting a crimewave?

When liberals in California decided to effectively decriminalise thefts under $950, by downgrading such crimes to mere misdemeanours, the effects were “tediously predictable”, said Zoe Strimpel in The Daily Telegraph. Shoplifting soared – and San Francisco became so lawless, “some of America’s biggest chains” left the city’s downtown.

We in Britain watched CCTV footage of gangs walking into stores unchallenged, and stripping the shelves of goods, with horrified amazement at the state of modern America. But last week, a major British retailer – the Co-op – warned that parts of our cities are now also at risk of becoming “no-go” areas for shops, owing to a shocking rise in crime. In the six months to June, Co-op recorded almost 1,000 incidents of crime every day across its 2,500 outlets, including shoplifting and violent assaults. It is now having to spend £40m a year on security.

‘Looting would be a better word for it’

It’s not just Co-op, said George Odling in the Daily Mail. Official figures show that there were 33,000 shoplifting offences recorded in March, 31% more than last year. And although the cost-of-living crisis may explain some of the rise, do not picture hard-pressed shoppers pocketing a packet of sausages.

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Looting would be a better word for what shops are up against, said Chris Blackhurst in The Independent. I saw a woman enter a branch of upmarket Sweaty Betty and run out with £300- worth of gym kit. Co-op reports gangs of youths smashing their way into its shops and terrorising staff, before making off with sacks full of food, cigarettes and alcohol.

‘Turning a blind eye to law-breaking’

What we are seeing, said The Times, is the effect of police “screening out” low-level offences – a triaging system designed to enable resources to be focused on the most serious offences. But inevitably, criminals soon worked out that for a range of crimes, they could act with impunity, turning theft into a very lucrative pastime.

That is changing: forces in England and Wales have now committed to investigate every reported crime with a tangible lead. We just have to hope they have the resources and skills to make that more than just a paper promise. “Turning a blind eye to law-breaking, however ‘low-level’, undermines public confidence in the police, and allows more serious crime to prosper.”