Toothless courts must do more in the fight against shoplifting blighti | Politics | News
Laila Cunningham, candidate for Mayor of London 2028 (Image: Getty)
The boss of Marks & Spencer said what every shop worker, every security guard and every high street business owner already knows: crime is not falling. It becomes more brazen, more organized, more aggressive, and the system cannot stop it.
When one of the country’s largest retailers says its employees have been assaulted, head-butted, hospitalized and attacked with chemicals, it’s not a perception issue, as Sadiq Khan would have us believe.
This is the failure of the government.
As Senior Crown Prosecutor, I dealt with these cases every day.
And what surprised me most was not just the volume of crime, but also how willing institutions had become to excuse it.
I remember standing up in court really angry and saying: ‘Yes, you were involved in theft, but what about the attack on the security guards? So what about the threatened staff? Aren’t we going to punish this? Are there no consequences to this?’
Instead, the focus will be on whether the defendant has a drug problem, alcohol addiction or a difficult past.
I talked to countless tradesmen who gave up. They don’t call the police anymore.
A manager at my local Sainsbury’s told me this happens every half hour. Owners of smaller shops in London said they believed their calls were being blocked by 999.
What makes this even worse is that this isn’t a talent issue. This is a question of will. We already have the tools.
Criminal Behavior Orders exist specifically to deal with repeat offenders. They allow individuals to be banned from entering areas, high streets and certain shops. When used properly, they will eliminate the people driving this cycle of repeat crime.
Repeat offenders should face escalating consequences, not recycled tolerance. Police should prioritize visible policing and consistent enforcement in known hotspots. And courts need to stop treating victims like an afterthought.
Because we have now been dragged into a system where those who do the right thing are left to face the consequences, and those who break the law are managed rather than stopped.
Thinus Keeve said this has become routine. It will remain this way until justified and real visible results emerge.
