Is stealing from shops no longer a crime in the UK

[SteveD]

This was once my idea to make millions but nobody was interested (there is a surprise!)

 

Smart Tagging:

 

Several years ago I wrote a plan to have all produce sold in supermarkets labelled with a 'smart tag' (chip). I reckoned all the major supermarkets had enough buying power to insist that their producers packaged their produce with a 'smart tag' that would contain details of the produce and the price (both retail and cost to the supermarket).

 

When the customer went shopping they could fill their trolley then walk through a barrier (like a security barrier at an airport) that would almost instantly recognise the produce in that trolley and the prices - a receipt would be printed and the money owed paid. No scanning of items or unloading/bagging of trolleys etc.

 

I showed how this would save on staff costs and also customer satisfaction.

 

The system would also be directly linked to the stock taking/accounting system again saving labour and money.

 

Nobody was interested despite the technology being available.

 

Still got to work loads instead of relaxing on some tropical beach or yacht!!!

cheers wuv just sent my new idea to sainsbobs to see what they say

[Norman Verona]

My understanding is the large supermarkets have been working on smart tagging for years. In fact one report I read in Computing stated that they had been the prime force behind the development.

 

I think, whilst it's a great idea which will revolutionize the way we shop, it's expensive and easy to fiddle by changing tags. A checkout girl would notice something priced at 0.75p which is valued far higher, say £9.99. But a tag scanner won't.

 

I think the self checkouts are monitored by cameras . Why people walk through with unscanned items is a mystery though. They could be asked to join a queue for checking if there was nay suspicion of theft.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

There was a system developed in Japan in the mid-seventies where the shopper walked past closed glass cabinets with the products in, chose which, inserted an ID card obtained from the entrance, keyed in how many on a keypad by the display, the items were either delivered as if from a vending machine, or noted in a computer for picking and delivery to the check-out desk at the time of payment. The big drawback is losing the ability to handle and choose the individual cabbage - or whale steak in their case.

[pistonbroke]

Why not have a set price per trolly load of goods based on the average spend ,

 

shouldn't be too difficult to work out and you could have different prices for different sizes of trolly or baskets etc. 

[jeff oakley]

It is difficult to understand what is a crime these days as the moral compass of people is way off and the actions of the police make things worse.

 

Shoplifting almost always gains the guilty a "telling off" and after multiple tellings off they might get some real form of punishment. The police rely on the supermarkets to pursue a civil claim more these days. Is it a crime most certainly, but some will justify it by saying supermarkets are evil and they can afford it. As I say compass way off.

 

But it goes wider. At our Luton branch some one drove a volkswagen through the wall and I mean through the wall. The police response was woeful. We had no camera on that area so the reason we know it was a VW was that it left part of it in the branch. The damage is severe over £15k at the moment.

We looked at footage on our neighbours camera and could see a dark VW messing around but not sharp enough to get a number, and the time was around 7.30pm.

Now anyone who knows Luton will confirm it is camera city as there was a lot of survailence due to the odd unsavory ethnic group member. So you would think it would be pretty easy to look at footage for either a beat up VW with a mangled front being driven away or on the back of a Lorry.

 

You might think that but apparently not.But hey we have a crime number so mine and yours insurance can pick up the bill for this. If I went into a bank and stole £15k they would be a bit more interest, even though the bank is insured like we are.

 

So here we have a driver who has had an accident, driven or towed away and now is not even being looked for when we can give time, place, and car type and the best the police can do is a crime number. Which is the bigger crime, the wall being driven through or the lack of action by the law.?

[Norman Verona]

Jeff, see post number 9.

 

I agree but who's guilty, the Police or us, the public who do nothing to change the way our services are run.