Shoplifting: Are the legal consequences enough?

An independent shop owner has accused the police of not doing enough to combat shoplifting in his area.

Surinder Josan, owner of All Seasons DIY, in Sandwell, said he has had to tighten up security following a string of recent incidents, introducing CCTV at the store his family has owned for more than four decades.

Mr Josan and other retailers on High Street, Smethwick, have now started a campaign calling for convicted perpetrators to face more severe consequences.

West Midlands Police said however, there had been a 10% reduction in shoplifting offences in Sandwell in the last year.

Mr Josan said he has experienced three different types of shoplifters, the first being people who enjoy the thrill of stealing.

The second are those who say they "have no choice" and the third were those who were organised, which he described as the most dangerous.

Surinder Josan now keeps many more items behind the till, handing them over only when they have been paid for

"One guy kept us occupied, looking like he was really interested in purchasing a lot of Christmas decorations, and ended up collecting about £300 to £400-worth," Mr Josan said.

"He had them by the till and, whilst he kept us occupied somewhere else, a friend of his picked up the whole lot and walked off with it."

After installing the CCTV, he says he has also been forced to keep goods behind the till until they are paid for.

Mr Josan said he tries to avoid altercations with the perpetrators, but sometimes it gets ugly, especially when high value items are stolen, forcing him to confront them during the act.

Fellow traders on the High Street, in Smethwick, are joining Mr Josan in a campaign to fight for more severe punishments for shoplifters

He believes there should be more severe consequences, especially because he says that when he tells police, they say submit a report online, but then officers do not follow the inquiry up.

"Until there is a significant deterrent, people aren't going to be bothered. They'll just carry on," he said.

"The cost of living hasn't helped, that's certainly fuelled a lot of theft. The economy needs to grow together."

'It affects livelihoods'

Earlier this year, WMP said it had recorded a 30% increase in shoplifting between April and June.

But a spokesperson said there had been a 10% reduction in Sandwell over the last year and Sandwell South, which covers Smethwick, had seen a drop of 20%.

"We understand how frustrating and distressing shoplifting is for both members of the public, shop workers and business owners," they said.

"It affects livelihoods which is why we are targeting repeat offenders that are causing misery to our communities."

They said officers were working on improving relationships with retailers and that it was targeting offenders in Sandwell under Operation Peppermint.