Vent:Store staff told me they would search me

Googlewhacker

CWCDiver wrote: »

Why would I allow you to do something you have no legal power to do?

I could not give two hoots about being banned.

Because I was asking and I accept you have the right to refuse but then I wouldn't give 'two hoots' about banning you either.

CWCDiver

Googlewhacker wrote: »

Because I was asking and I accept you have the right to refuse but then I wouldn't give 'two hoots' about banning you either.

Well I am glad that is settled then.

surreysaver

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

if you set the alarm off when you leave then they're entitled to stop you otherwise there's no point having the alarms.

No, they're not entitled to stop you. That is assault - even blocking their way is assault. The alarms are there to act as a deterrent, not to provide an excsue to search people.

For a member of staff to stop and search you, they have to be 100% sure you've taken something - i.e. they saw you take it off a shelf and put it in your bag and not pay for it. Otherwise its assault.

surreysaver

DCFC79 wrote: »

nothing wrong with store staff or security staff searching you, members of staff of the supermarkets get randomly searched albeit the staff areasked to empty they're pockets with management and sometimes security there, the easy option for a customer is to empty your pockets so you can get what you wanted

But staff agree to be searched upon signing their contract of employment. They have no right to search the public.

surreysaver

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

They can ask you for a search and you are able to decline. This however can give them further grounds to suspect an offence has been commited and can use reasonable force to detain you until a police officer attends.

And if they do detain you until the police arrive and you haven't nicked anything, you can have THEM arrested for false imprisonment.

surreysaver

eyeinthesky wrote: »

When the police do arrive, they will give your details to the store security anyway.

Which is illegal under the Data Protection Act (unless you have actually nicked something).

antrobus

Yorkie1 wrote: »

PACE 1984 still exists, it has not been replaced. It's s.24A as previously posted for an arrest by any other person (i.e. not a constable). http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/60/section/24A

...

I think what the previous poster likely meant was that s24 PACE 1984 was amended by the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 which introduced a new arrest regime that was significantly different from the previous one. Or to put it another way, what s24 says now, and what it said before 2005 are two different things.

fluffnutter

Storck wrote: »

injected birth control..

I always assumed the sensors were triggered by metal not hormones

hollydays

JaymesKenin wrote: »

Yes, hollydays, you are correct. I should not have *technically* approached the person without SCONE (not the way I was 'taught' but the basics are spot on there).

The problem with my store is we're a prime target for bulk shoplifters, we're literally off of a motorway roundabout.

However, the distinction in this case is: I see the person looking suspicious around a trolley which has already exited the building, the lock on the wheel has activated and the person is still trying to pull it off limits of our property.

I've then had one colleague put a camera while myself and another colleague try to find out why they are pulling the trolley away from our property (we've been told by Police we can detain for theft of the trolley if they're removed from our property because of the sheer number of signs and well marked boundaries). So, theoretically, my colleague and I aren't there to detain someone for shoplifting at this point, but as soon as this person starts running away from us while we're walking towards them from about 50 yards away I think it's pretty obvious what's happened, I mean, it's gone past suspicion at this point, waaaaaaaaaaay past.

I kept up, my colleague checked the trolley and found eight bags filled with chewing gum, fortunately the person ran straight into a stationary car, makes our lives way easier! :rotfl:

Oh, I never said we phoned the Police, and therefore there may not even be a criminal case (even if there was, I haven't disclosed any personal information).

Starting a non-CCTV based arrest is not something I take lightly at all, in fact, I think I've done maybe a dozen across my entire Security career, which is half a decade! If I'm going to do it, I'm going to be 100% sure that the person if guilty of a crime and I can deal with the CCTV later.

I realise this sounds a tad crazy, but perhaps eyeinthesky will back me up, or anyone in the retail security industry can, sometimes these types of actions are necessary.

P.S. While the ending was happy, unfortunately before this one ran into a parked car they got quite a distance... my knee is killing me today! I'm too old for this!!

I commend you preventing £1200 of stuff being stolen,er..why weren't the police called? Hope you the parked car are ok:D

PudseyDB

I regularly set off door security alarms - I think its the magnet in my cochlea implant that does it!! I've very rarely stopped though - most security just wave me through.

Leaving Asda the other day was funny though - the alarm beeped as usual when I walked in, and the look and reaction of the man walking out at the same moment took us by surprise. He literally jumped a mile before looking in his bag and going back to check with the security man.

I've been reassured reading these posts - whilst I may be watched on cctv I now know I wont be under any threat of someone chasing after me to stop. Reassuring as I dont always realise I've set the alarm off.