British shops: fighting a crimewave?
The Co-op warned that parts of our cities are now at risk of becoming no-go areas for shops
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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
New York wins WNBA title, nearly nabs World Series
Speed Read The Yankees with face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the upcoming Fall Classic
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The best ski resorts for a winter escape
The Week Recommends From the Dolomites to the Pyrenees, these are Europe's top ski destinations
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Trump does McDonald's, lauds golfer's genitals
Speed Read The former president worked the fryer at a restaurant in suburban Philadelphia
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Pélicot case: a horror exposed
Talking Point This case is unusually horrifying, but the misogyny that enabled is chillingly common
By The Week UK Published
-
Lucy Letby: a miscarriage of justice?
The Explainer Since Letby's conviction for killing seven babies at a neonatal unit, experts have expressed grave doubts about the case
By The Week UK Published
-
A bus stop tragedy and China's anti-Japanese rhetoric
Talking Point Suzhou attack described as the product of 'decades of hate education'
By The Week UK Published
-
Europe's drug gangs in the spotlight
The Explainer The illegal narcotics trade is fuelling a surge in gang violence across the continent
By The Week UK Published
-
French schools and the scourge of teenage violence
Talking Point Gabriel Attal announces 'bold' intervention to tackle rise in violent incidents
By The Week UK Published
-
Weinstein's appeal: a blow to #MeToo
Talking Points Is 'shocking' reversal of symbolic conviction a sign of weakening movement?
By The Week UK Published
-
Scotland Yard, Gaza and the politics of policing protests
Talking Point Met Police accused of 'two-tier policing' by former home secretary as new footage emerges of latest flashpoint
By The Week UK Published
-
Stakeknife: the killer who spied for Britain
Talking Point The investigation into the IRA double agent has taken seven years and cost £40m
By The Week UK Published