Kent Police cracks down on shoplifting as businesses scared for staff safety

KentOnline / KMTV

The number of people charged for shoplifting in Maidstone has increased by 50% in the last year, despite this business owners say they're living in fear.

Transcript

00:00 More than 400 incidents of shoplifting were reported in Maidstone last year, with thousands

00:06 being reported across Kent.

00:09 Officers have increased patrols along the high street, with 40% more people being known

00:14 to the police for committing this crime in the past year.

00:18 Five minutes into their Monday patrol, they got a call from a community ambassador reporting

00:23 someone they suspected had shoplifted.

00:26 "So we turned straight out to it, they're two individuals that we know very well anyway,

00:31 and then a number of other allegations have been made about shoplifting, which obviously

00:34 we've searched them out and found some stolen goods.

00:37 Our chap's been searched and on his way, and then we'll take these items back to the shop.

00:41 So we've just taken the stolen goods back to where we believe they're from, Wilkinson's,

00:44 they've confirmed they are from the store, so we'll just get a receipt from them, if

00:48 someone checks and sees TV for us now to find out how he's gone about stealing it.

00:52 He'll be invited in for an interview at some point, we'll go back and just do some evidence

00:57 capture for it, write some statements."

01:00 This was one of two calls on suspected shoplifting that they got out on patrol within about 15

01:05 minutes.

01:06 In the last year, 231 charges of shoplifting were authorised by Kent Police.

01:13 That's an increase of 50% from the previous year.

01:16 But businesses are still living in fear.

01:19 Like this shop owner, who has 16 CCTV cameras installed.

01:24 Some businesses will put CCTV in to try and prevent shoplifting from taking place, but

01:29 this business here says even though they've had CCTV since they've been open, they still

01:33 get people trying to shoplift here every single day.

01:36 "Before one person enough for work, now we need three person because the people are stealing.

01:43 I need help because my staff is not happy to work, everyone coming make a trouble."

01:50 "Move your expensive goods from the front door, put them in the shop a little bit more,

01:54 potentially if you can afford it get CCTV, just the basic crime prevention, but more

01:59 importantly if it happens, phone the police and tell us that it's happened, get it reported

02:04 so that we can start looking at the trends that potentially some shop owners may not

02:08 want to phone the police and tell us about."

02:11 As police patrols continue, businesses hope soon they can open their doors without fearing

02:16 for their safety.

02:18 Sophia Akin for KMTV in Maidstone.

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