Store owner wants police to attend every case of shoplifting

Neil Mackay, who owns Mackay hardware store on East Road in Cambridge, started a petition to get police to attend every reported shop theft

The owner of a city centre hardware store is calling on police to attend every reported case of shoplifting.

Neil Mackay, who owns a store on East Road, Cambridge, says thieves "feel emboldened" knowing officers are unlikely to turn up.

He said he "went round in circles" between 999 and the non-urgent number 101, after calling to report a theft.

Cambridgeshire Police said it was working with retailers and "take all reports of crimes seriously".

Mr Mackay said he has been the victim of a number of shoplifting cases and has had to increase store security.

"More people are getting to know that police are less likely to turn up," he said.

"Recently one of my colleagues built a cabinet to put all of our pliers in because we estimate we've had about £1,000 worth of those stolen in the first six months of the year."

Mackay Hardware sells a vast range of power tools, as well as stepladders, electrical goods and building materials.

Mr Mackay said that after one theft he called 999 but was unable to describe the thief and was told to call 101, before a call handler transferred him back to the same 999 operator.

"The whole thing was ridiculous," he said.

"The next morning a superintendent apologised for the poor service."

Mr Mackay has installed CCTV and security tags on expensive items

Mr Mackay said that a lot of retail managers he knew had "given up" and "lost faith" in reporting crimes.

"Somehow the police have got to rebuild that faith and people have got to report every single crime," he said.

He said that some people regard shop theft as "petty" but added: "Small time crime turns into big time crime".

"Once they get away with it they feel emboldened by it," he said.

Cambridgeshire Police said it attended instances of shoplifting "wherever possible".

A spokesperson added: "However, this depends on factors such as whether the crime is in progress and the risk posed by other ongoing incidents at the time of reporting."

They said the force was "working with retailers concerning shoplifting and seeking prosecutions where possible and take all reports of crimes seriously".

Mr Mackay said: "I want everybody out there to feel that they can report a crime and the police are going to do something about it."