A SOUTHEND shopkeeper has described facing a “never-ending battle” against shoplifting after fresh figures revealed more than 12,000 incidents across the county over the last year.
Kanaeratnam Mayooram, manager of the Premier convenience store on Southchurch Road, admitted that issues are so bad he no longer reports incidents to Essex Police.
According to figures, obtained by Personal Injury Claims UK, Essex Police has logged 49,391 shoplifting offences in the area since April 2019, including 12,283 in the last year.
However, Essex Police has ramped up action over shoplifting and since January 1, 1,025 arrests have been made for shop theft and 1,733 charges secured.
The force has also handed out dozens of criminal behaviour orders – banning offenders from setting foot in shops where they have committed crimes.
Mr Mayooram admitted that providing evidence can sometimes be the hardest problem for shopkeepers trying to report crimes.
He said: “There are so many incidents but we are not telling the police anymore because it’s not being solved.
“They ask for CCTV, information, they put the questions to us, but they are not doing anything with it. So many times we have given them this and everything else, but they are unable to do anything.
“That’s why most of the time, we stop reporting to them. People who are stealing, they don’t care. If you say you are going to report it to the police, they don’t care.”
However, Essex Police’s “business crime team” works with retail businesses across the county to advise them on how to gather evidence to help strengthen their cases put before the courts.
Sergeant Christian Denning, of the business crime team, said: “There has been a rise in reported cases of shoplifting nationwide and, of course, the situation in Essex reflects this. But Essex remains below the national average for shoplifting incidents.
“We also work with policing teams across the county, many of which have specific operations in place to target known prolific offenders. We support them with the provision of crime prevention advice and advise on the legal powers available to apply for at court.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel