M&S boss unleashes bitter statement as he says police 'aren't interested' in shoplifting
The chairman of M&S has been joined by figures from Co-Op Food and ASDA in criticising shoplifting and how police are reacting to people who shoplift.
The chairman of supermarket Marks and Spencer has slammed the police and claimed they “aren’t interested” in shoplifting offences in the UK.
Speaking on LBC this morning, Archie Norman claimed that M&S staff receive “very little help from the police” and that the company has had to invest in other ways to monitor the problem.
Mr Norman explained that M&S now had “store detectives” alongside advanced cameras and other forms of technology so they can “intervene” if necessary.
His comments come as figures released show that shoplifting offences have increased in the UK by 37 percent.
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The figures revealed that in the year ending 2023, there were 430,104 offences compared to 315,040 offences the previous year.
Mr Norman told Nick Ferrari: “We get very little help from the police. I mean, I think we have to accept the police are not interested in this sort of crime anymore.”
Mr Norman added that he believed shoplifting could be linked to other types of crime. He explained: “When people are hard up, or particularly when there's a growth in other forms of crime, particularly drugs-related crime, then... one way of financing it is to go and steal from shops.”
Alongside Mr Norman, MD of Co-op Food, Matt Hood, and chairman of ASDA Lord Stuart Rose have also criticised the shoplifting crisis in the UK.
Mr Hood said: “We are seeing far too many prolific offenders persistently steal large volumes of products, in our shops every day, and, if they are stealing to fund addictions, the situation often becomes volatile and dangerous.
“Crime is an occupation for some - it is not petty crime, and it is not victimless. It is imperative MPs don’t turn their backs on shopworkers, and vote through the amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill to give my colleagues the protection they deserve.”
Lord Rose claimed earlier this year that police weren’t answering his calls. He explained: “The authorities just do not take shoplifting seriously. 40 years ago when I was a manager at Marks and Spencer Marble Arch, the police would turn up. Now they don't even answer the telephone.
“The costs are soaring. The numbers are scary. We have to cover the costs. Margins are down to historic lows. We are a very efficient industry trying our best to help customers.”
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Furthermore, Professor Emmeline Taylor from City, University of London, has also slammed the shoplifting situation in the UK, the police’s response to it and set out a series of recommendations in a new report.
Professor Taylor said: “The police in England and Wales have lost grip on the scale and severity of the acquisitive crime, and, in turn, retailers have lost confidence in them and the wider criminal justice system.
“My report sets out ten actionable recommendations to turn the tide on the current tsunami of shop theft.
“By taking decisive action to tackle high-volume, high-impact retail crime, the police and retail industry can work together to create safer communities in which to live, work and shop.”