It would be hard to find a more stark illustration of the cost of living crisis than the fact that one in 10 young people say they have shoplifted to cope with rising costs. In one London borough, Calpol is the most shoplifted item. Elsewhere, parents say they are having to steal formula milk to feed their babies.
Yes, I expect they do. They are hardly likely to tell you what they are really using it for, are they? And why does no-one ask what they are spending their child benefit on, if not their child?
But rather than offering families the support they need, the government is instead increasing the use of invasive facial recognition technology to track shoplifters. This feels like an attempt to criminalise poverty.
No, it's an attempt to catch - or prevent access to - those who are already criminals. No matter who they are.
Last month, Project Pegasus was launched. Ten of the country’s biggest retailers are planning to tackle the rise in shoplifting by handing over their CCTV images to the police, to be run through police databases using facial recognition technology.
I'd hate to have to point out that if they actually turned up, they'd catch them red handed, but...oh, I just did, didn't I?
The plans have been fronted by the policing minister, Chris Philp, who also has his sights on setting up a national shoplifting database which can be used by police and retailers nationwide. Such a database could include the passport photos of 45 million adults in the country.Place this in the context of plummeting trust in UK policing and the picture gets ever more bleak. Not only is such technology ripe for misuse, history tells us surveillance tech will always be used to monitor and harass minority groups, and particularly people of colour.
How will it? It's going to be used to target criminals. Surely you can't be saying that minority groups contain more criminals than other groups, can you?
Using our passport photos – something we’ve submitted for the purposes of travelling – to track us when we go to the shops to buy a pint of milk is an extreme invasion of our privacy.
I've just renewed my passport, as it happens, and I've no qualms whatsoever about my photo being used in this way. Can you guess why? It's not because I'm white.
The challenges that shoplifting creates are best addressed by understanding the impact rising costs and poverty are having on people across the country, who are are struggling to pay their bills and feed their children.
No, it's not the case that people are stealing to 'feed children' - they are mostly stealing to feed their own greed or a drug habit.
11 comments:
Quite near where I live is (or was) a Coop supermarket. They took it over from Somerfield many years ago, and Somerfield had taken it over from someone else.
As far as I understand it, they had a manager who stole a lot of money, followed by lots of break-ins that appeared to be insider-jobs, and recently, lots of shoplifting.
A couple of hundred yards away, there is a fully-equipped police station that is now unmanned.
Is it any surprise that the supermarket closes today?
It's all about the Stasi tracking citizens.
Does anyone believe that the people that are stealing foodstuffs, baby formula and Calpol have passports?
I don't consent to this and yet again this shows that something mandated for a single purpose is now retasked by the State for another. No slippery slope here at all.
"I've just renewed my passport, as it happens, and I've no qualms whatsoever about my photo being used in this way. Can you guess why?"
Because you have nothing to hide so nothing to fear? Is that it?
The whole judicial system needs sorting out. Thief is caught shoplifting. If the total sum is less than £100, the Police won't turn up. Result is that crime pays.
If/when they do turn up, and arrest someone, the CPS (Criminal Protection Society) or senior officer usually advises a caution. Result is that crime pays.
If/when charged and released on bail, the thief will return to shoplifting pending court appearance sometime in next 6 months, if they turn up at court at all. Result is that crime pays.
The thief appears at court, is found guilty and given various hours of community service, which they don't do. Result is that crime pays.
If given a prison sentence, it is usually suspended for a certain period as it:
(a) will cause hardship to the family.
(b) interfere with the progression of the aspiring footballer, singer, rocket scientist.
(c) the thief is in the process of transitioning sex and custody would interfere with the medical procedure, or,
(d) the Home Office states the (too few) prisons are full, and there's no room.
Result is that crime pays.
There is the added danger of the victims being arrested when they physicality try to stop the thief from stealing. Result is that crime pays.
It's a shame we can't dig up the remains of Vlad the Impaler, clone him, and put him in charge of the Home Office.
Penseivat
bacon is the most stolen item
Judith quoted someone saying "Not only is such technology ripe for misuse, history tells us surveillance tech will always be used to monitor and harass minority groups, and particularly people of colour."
Judith commented: "How will it? It's going to be used to target criminals. Surely you can't be saying that minority groups contain more criminals than other groups, can you? "
Spiro: No, we (or someone) is saying that once they have that information available, they will use it to do a lot of things that they didn't tell us about. As, in fact, they have just admitted.
"I've just renewed my passport, as it happens, and I've no qualms whatsoever about my photo being used in this way. Can you guess why?"
Because you trust the authorities, presumably. You're welcome to do so and to make your choice accordingly. Others who don't share your view would like the same choice. You give them all your information and your consent to use it in any way they like, and we won't. Sounds like a good deal to me.
Since, from recent "public displays", London isn't even part of civilisation any-more, let alone Britain ... who gives a fcuk?
Surround the place with a wall, and let them all starve.
It's all Cloward-Piven strategy though, to give them an excuse for ... just what you imply.
My most enjoyable posting during my time in the police was working in a busy high street for eight years fighting retail crime so I regard myself as a bit of an expert on shoplifting.
The media are trying to portray shoplifters as little old ladies stealing cat food to feed poor little Tiddles or starving single mums stealing milk for baby Chardonnay. Absolutely wrong. In my experience it's drug addicted vermin,organised East European gangs, Gypsies,ethnic gangs steaming shops using terror.
The Conservatives branding themselves as the party of law and order is an absolute joke as only this week they are deferring prison sentences as there are no spaces. Where's the deterrent for crimes like these? They won't stop unless jailed.
Every burglar, robber and car thief I dealt with started by shoplifting as a juvenile. They realise it's easy with very few risks if they get caught. They then move up the food chain causing decent people misery. The Broken Windows theory is largely correct in this instance.
Jaded
The obvious solution is cheaper punishments.
Clearly I advocate the good old Singaporean policy of flogging. Cheap, quick and unpleasant.
I doubt that it'd work any better than prison. But I don't think it'd work any worse. Still, no doubt the Singaporean government would be pleased to provide copies of their crime statistics.
And it would save the cost and the time involved in building more prisons.
A nice simple solution would be to make punishing criminals cheaper.
I'm of course thinking of flogging. I doubt if it'd work any better than prison, but I don't think it'd work any worse. Still, I'm sure the Singaporean government would be happy to share it's crime statistics.
It could also be adopted immediately by hiring floggers from Singapore. Thus saving the time and expense of building new prisons.
"Is it any surprise that the supermarket closes today?"
None whatsoever!
"No slippery slope here at all."
There's ALWAYS one of those!
"Because you have nothing to hide so nothing to fear? Is that it?"
Well, because I don't shoplift, mainly...and no, Spiro, I don't trust the authorities.
" Result is that crime pays."
Always, sadly.
"The Conservatives branding themselves as the party of law and order is an absolute joke ..."
Yes, and the joke's on US...
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