Shoplifing on the increase in ED.

[monica]

Hi Ed

Shoplifting is on the increase in East Dulwich, Coop, Marks and Superdrug seem to be the intended targets. Many customers on the lane have witnessed shop lifting, we ask if you could report it to the police or store managers. A lot of crime is not reported. Fake ?20 and ?50 pound notes are also circulating in the area, so please be attentive with any cash you have been given in charge, if you are using cash. Contactless payments have now increased from ?30 to ?45.

Take care

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

There are also items being stolen from doorsteps so if you are expecting anything, make sure you take it in as soon as it arrives.

[DulwichFox]

Shoplifting was discussed at length at the last Safer Neighbourhood Meeting (12th March)

Several Local business owners spoke of their own personal experiences of being targeted.

East Dulwich, Coop, Marks and Superdrug were amongst those being targeted but there were no

representatives from those companies to comment.

Many people there were from indies who were targeted by repeat offenders despite CCTV being installed.

Certainly there is an increase in Fake Banknotes.

DulwichFox

[Angelina]

with foodbanks closing and people out of work - it's a sad state of affairs.

[ED_moots]

Yeah the bloke I saw putting a bottle of wine in his jacket in Marks was just out for the essentials. When I challanged him he just shouted "yeah im nicking it". 2 staff pretty powerless and I was with my 6 year old so didn't want to escalate.

Casual criminality defo on the increase.

[holloway]

If this isn?t nipped in the bud things will get worse and worse. East Dulwich and it?s residents, will be seen as a soft touch.

[DulwichFox]

ED_moots Wrote:

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> Yeah the bloke I saw putting a bottle of wine in

> his jacket in Marks was just out for the

> essentials. When I challanged him he just shouted

> "yeah im nicking it". 2 staff pretty powerless and

> I was with my 6 year old so didn't want to

> escalate.

>

> Casual criminality defo on the increase.

I said it before. It's amounting to looting. I got shouted down.

But that's is what it is becoming.

It is beyond shoplifting where it's done clandestinely.

It is blatant stealing, taking in front of staff who are powerless to do do anything.

DulwichFox

[NewWave]

This morning I saw two men carrying backpacks walking down lordship lane ahead of me they looked like they may be rough sleepers and spoke in an eastern European language they kept slowing down and looking into the doorways of shops that were open (SMBS) and looked into a donation bag left outside StChristopers charity shop.

I got a bad vibe from them that they were looking to steal-something about their general attitude the loitering and cockiness and the way they kept crossing back and forth across the road to look into open shops They spoke to the couple from Monicas shop when they were outside fixing an awning then they crossed over and went into the tobacconists on the opposite corner.

I'm pretty streetwise having lived in New York in the bad old days and Notting hill before gentrification and I would definitely keep an eye out for them as I got the impression they were 'looking for opportunities' shall we say.

I kept them in my sights but kept my distance-they were in their 40's and one was olive skinned and had on a red tartan jacket I think-were't speaking english to each other it was quite a guttural language hence me thinking it was east european

[Bic Basher]

Superdrug has closed the LL and Forest Hill stores, so they're no longer a target.

[dimples]

Newwave im pm you to see if a photo I?ve got are the same men ?

[monica]

Thank you NewWave for posting the description much appreciated. Dimples can I see the photo if I pm you?

Our local neighbourhood police are tackling the shoplifting issues, they arrested 2 shoplifters in coop the other day.

We are forwarding images from our CCCTv as are the other retailers, to the police of the offenders.

[Blah Blah]

Some of this increase may well be down to lack of opportunity elsewhere. A house burglar for example, will struggle to find an empty home. A street robber will be told to stay two meters away and given the lack of drunken victims wandering about at night, and no restaurants full of people with bags to pinch....and so on. Even the high street sportswear and brands shoplifter is struggling now. It is perhaps the only bright side of this - criminals being put out of business. Those who thieve to support drug and alcohol addictions though, will target any shop that is open.

[NewWave]

dimples Wrote:

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> Newwave im pm you to see if a photo I?ve got are

> the same men ?

Hi your photo wasn't on the PM can you try again?

[NewWave]

Hi saw the photo placed in the lounge section I would say I'm 75% sure it wasn't them your two both look more asian than the two I saw although one was swarthy he didn't look asian

[Cora]

I have experienced this very blatantly in both M$S and Co-op a few times but it is so hard to know what to do. I try and tell the staff but to be honest I feel bad telling them because there is not much they can do! Only if the companies put proper security on the doors will it be prevented. I know that is not an option for you Monica :(

It is the blatantness of it that shocks me and makes me feel that we (ED) are definite easy targets. Nothing discreet. If (and I'm sure they don't) the police had some spare undercovers I am sure they would be able to get them pretty easily. Just hang around during the evening shift.

[alice]

I think an increase in shoplifting is inevitable. And certainly not a police priority.

[ED - NAGAIUTB]

Cora Wrote:

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> I have experienced this very blatantly in both M$S

> and Co-op a few times but it is so hard to know

> what to do. I try and tell the staff but to be

> honest I feel bad telling them because there is

> not much they can do! Only if the companies put

> proper security on the doors will it be prevented.

> I know that is not an option for you Monica :(

> It is the blatantness of it that shocks me and

> makes me feel that we (ED) are definite easy

> targets. Nothing discreet. If (and I'm sure they

> don't) the police had some spare undercovers I am

> sure they would be able to get them pretty easily.

> Just hang around during the evening shift.

M&S have had a massive problem for a while but have decided, as a company, to ignore as presumably the store makes enough money that it isn't an issue to their bottom line. The net effect though is attracting more shoplifters to an easy target. Pretty irresponsible behaviour from a corporate that projects such a 'cuddly' image.

[DulwichFox]

alice Wrote:

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> I think an increase in shoplifting is inevitable.

> And certainly not a police priority.

It certainly IS a Police Priority

I was at the last Safer Neighbour Meeting and we spent most of the meeting

discussing the subject.

DulwichFox

[alice]

Hmm then other violent crime must have decreased. Good.

[alice]

Noted that BBC figures show a 54% reduction in shoplifting.

[KidKruger]

considering probably a lot more than 54% of shops are closed that's probably not a great statistic to take confidence from !!

[NewWave]

KidKruger Wrote:

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> considering probably a lot more than 54% of shops

> are closed that's probably not a great statistic

> to take confidence from !!

Hahaha! true!

[seenbeen]

alice Wrote:

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> Noted that BBC figures show a 54% reduction in

> shoplifting.

How do they know how much is being stolen? Unless they are just assuming and extrapolating...I reckon the shops that are open are experiencing more than they usually do because a lot of shoplifters are kleptomaniacs

[DulwichFox]

seenbeen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> alice Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Noted that BBC figures show a 54% reduction in

> > shoplifting.

How do they know how much is being stolen? Unless

they are just assuming and extrapolating...I

reckon the shops that are open are experiencing

more than they usually do because a lot of

shoplifters are kleptomaniacs

Every item in store is recorded.. every item Sold is recorded..

Stock taking shows what's left and what is missing is assumed as Stolen.

Apart from that Shop Lifting is Blatant.. these people don't even try and hide it.

They just walk out with goods. They do not worry about CCTV.

If approached they get aggressive.. Staff are Powerless.

This is NOT due to Coronavirus, It has been going on for years.

DulwichFox

[seenbeen]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> seenbeen Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > alice Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Noted that BBC figures show a 54% reduction

> in

> > > shoplifting.

> How do they know how much is being stolen?

> Unless

> they are just assuming and extrapolating...I

> reckon the shops that are open are experiencing

> more than they usually do because a lot of

> shoplifters are kleptomaniacs

>

> Every item in store is recorded.. every item Sold

> is recorded..

> Stock taking shows what's left and what is missing

> is assumed as Stolen.

>

> Apart from that Shop Lifting is Blatant.. these

> people don't even try and hide it.

> They just walk out with goods. They do not worry

> about CCTV.

>

> If approached they get aggressive.. Staff are

> Powerless.

>

> This is NOT due to Coronavirus, It has been going

> on for years.

>

> DulwichFox

Not quite true about everything being recorded etc. to the nth degree. There is a convenience store in East Dulwich and very often things are bought and stamped on the side is the fact that the item is from a multi pack and should not be sold separately