Oompah Oompah, stick it up ya jumpa!

lemonjelly

I have said previously that I anticipate that petty crime, and also fraud would be on the increase in the downturn.

I now see that the BBC are reporting increasing shoplifting. To be honest, this has happened sooner than I thought it might. According to the report, shoplifting in the UK is higher than anywhere else in europe.

I am also intruiged at how the rise is mainly around "wants" rather than "needs" (perhaps that will come later). It also appears that the main culprits are not the stereotypical shoplifter, but the rise is down to new middle class shoplifters.

I'd suggest they are trying to sustain an unsustainable lifestyle, and their shoplifting is a lot about status.

The report also highlights how insider theft by employees is rising considerably.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8347222.stm

This could be significant for the economy. It places considerable drains to resources on business' regarding security, monitoring, stock taking, investigating, insurance, loss & replacement of stock. It also could really hit some business' quite hard.

It also places an additional cost socially, resources such as police, courts/justice system etc.

This could be quite a problem if it grows. I am quite surprised that what is generall being stolen aren't necessities. It appears too many haven't learned that you can't have everything now, and that keeping up with the jonses is paramount to many in the populace. It also appears many are unwilling to take on the mse downshift challenge!;)

Anyone else surprised by this news?

Anyone else concerned it could be a significant problem (if unchecked, or from a consequence point of view)?

fedupfreda

Ok, I'm no expert, having left supermarket work 4 years ago, but I do recall some of our worst shoplifters at the time were apparently fairly wealthy - well dressed, drove BMW's/Mercs etc. One wonders just how they were managing to maintain their affluent lifestyles. So this is really nothing new. It has been happening for years and I guess anyone currently working in retail would be able to validate this.

My own guess is that maybe shops are concentrating on security now, in an effort to reduce slippage rates and maintain profitability. So the statistics would show an increase as more is being detected. I don't know what happens in clothing retail but I know in food a lot of loss actually used to get listed as waste.

Insider theft by employees has always gone on. I used to work in the personnel dept of a supermarket and used to take the minutes of the disciplinaries. Some of the tales I could tell.... :eek: But I won't.

lostinrates

It doesn't lways cost as much extra as you'd hope: if its not publically prosecuted, and it often isn't.

I mean, it costs us, through purchase price, but nt through the courts, in those cases.

lemonjelly

fedupfreda wrote: »

Ok, I'm no expert, having left supermarket work 4 years ago, but I do recall some of our worst shoplifters at the time were apparently fairly wealthy - well dressed, drove BMW's/Mercs etc. One wonders just how they were managing to maintain their affluent lifestyles. So this is really nothing new. It has been happening for years and I guess anyone currently working in retail would be able to validate this.

My own guess is that maybe shops are concentrating on security now, in an effort to reduce slippage rates and maintain profitability. So the statistics would show an increase as more is being detected. I don't know what happens in clothing retail but I know in food a lot of loss actually used to get listed as waste.

Insider theft by employees has always gone on. I used to work in the personnel dept of a supermarket and used to take the minutes of the disciplinaries. Some of the tales I could tell.... :eek: But I won't.

Oh go on....;)

Seem to remember hearing that banks/financial institutions used to let staff caught with their hand in the till go without a prosecution, provided they agreed to a type of gagging order, as they didn't want the public to think the staff were on the rob.

Might be an urban myth though

In a previous job I worked with an elderly chap, in a rural area, where the whole village would be classed as affluent.

For a number of reasons I can't go into, the guy's income was really low. He survived by cleaning out elderly locals bins, odd jobs etc. (NB the guy was well above retirement age). When the credit crunch occurred, people stopped having the fiver they used to pay him for the odd jobs, & the odd jobs stopped. This meant the guy was really struggling.

I was put in touch with him by the police (which was lucky, as I'd noticed for the first time he'd started to have arrears on his rent account. I'd tried to contact him, left cllaing cards with my number on, but he didn't get in touch). They'd arrested him for the 2nd time in a month. He'd stolen a pukka pie, or ginsters or something from the village shop. Though they initially wanted to prosecute, I spoke with the manager on the guy's behalf. After meeting the guy, & seeing how he was living, I was glad I did! The poor chap was really struggling, & I said to the police & shop manager to think about it, pointing out "they guy isn't a career/habitual criminal. He's stealing to feed himself. He's hungry".

Reluctantly, the shop & police didn't charge him - though later the police agreed it would have been counter productive.

Turned out the guy had lived off savings for years, which had run out, was almost 90, & hadn't claimed any benefits.

carolt

I must be missing something from the figures quoted in the OP.

How can the average loss be £1595 per incident, when clothes shops and supermarkets are included? How big is their jumper if they can fit over a grand and a half's worth of food/clothes up there?

inspector_monkfish

lemonjelly wrote: »

Oh go on....;)

Seem to remember hearing that banks/financial institutions used to let staff caught with their hand in the till go without a prosecution, provided they agreed to a type of gagging order, as they didn't want the public to think the staff were on the rob.

Might be an urban myth though

In a previous job I worked with an elderly chap, in a rural area, where the whole village would be classed as affluent.

For a number of reasons I can't go into, the guy's income was really low. He survived by cleaning out elderly locals bins, odd jobs etc. (NB the guy was well above retirement age). When the credit crunch occurred, people stopped having the fiver they used to pay him for the odd jobs, & the odd jobs stopped. This meant the guy was really struggling.

I was put in touch with him by the police (which was lucky, as I'd noticed for the first time he'd started to have arrears on his rent account. I'd tried to contact him, left cllaing cards with my number on, but he didn't get in touch). They'd arrested him for the 2nd time in a month. He'd stolen a pukka pie, or ginsters or something from the village shop. Though they initially wanted to prosecute, I spoke with the manager on the guy's behalf. After meeting the guy, & seeing how he was living, I was glad I did! The poor chap was really struggling, & I said to the police & shop manager to think about it, pointing out "they guy isn't a career/habitual criminal. He's stealing to feed himself. He's hungry".

Reluctantly, the shop & police didn't charge him - though later the police agreed it would have been counter productive.

Turned out the guy had lived off savings for years, which had run out, was almost 90, & hadn't claimed any benefits.

Hey Jelly, when you turn up to sort these problems out do you wear a big yellow cape, tights with your pants over the top, and a big S L J on your chest - and of course fly there :D

lemonjelly

inspector_monkfish wrote: »

Hey Jelly, when you turn up to sort these problems out do you wear a big yellow cape, tights with your pants over the top, and a big S L J on your chest - and of course fly there :D

Nah! I'm a quiet blur type thing - in & out before you know what hit ya!:D

Actually, I usually wear what I'm told!:o

inspector_monkfish

lemonjelly wrote: »

Nah! I'm a quiet blur type thing - in & out before you know what hit ya!:D

Actually, I usually wear what I'm told!:o

A Baggies kit ?:eek::eek:

lemonjelly

inspector_monkfish wrote: »

A Baggies kit ?:eek::eek:

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

wash your mouth out!!!!

dizzybuff

lemonjelly wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

wash your mouth out!!!!

LMAO .. onkly because Im married to a BRUMMIE

fedupfreda

lemonjelly wrote: »

Oh go on....;)

Seem to remember hearing that banks/financial institutions used to let staff caught with their hand in the till go without a prosecution, provided they agreed to a type of gagging order, as they didn't want the public to think the staff were on the rob.

Might be an urban myth though

From my admittedly limited experience, it's not an urban myth.;) Don't know about the world of finance but I can recall some instances where, shall we say, 'managerial discretion' was used...;).... usually where the employee concerned was still in full time education, they did not want to be seen to be ruining a persons future prospects for an immature mistake.

However I can also recall cases where managers themselves were helping themselves to shop stock. Usually they would be moved to another store and given a 2nd chance - with much supervision. I well remember the night managers who helped themselves to food from the staff canteen. When that little scam was detected, and the fridges locked, they took to liberating stock from the warehouse. Things like frozen pizzas etc. Which they would then cook in the staff canteen. This wasn't rumbled until one day they forgot to tidy away the evidence in time for the following morning when the store manager came round. He was not impressed. As I recall they were 'redeployed' not long after :D:D. I could tell many tales in similar vein but won't, I fear I am too well known in these parts and would be easily identified!

They do still prosecute sometimes though. Usually for actual cash theft. You would be surprised how many staff think it is possible to tuck cash up their sleeve/in their socks and get away with it.