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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 4:03 am
Time: 4:03 am
Results for shoplifters
1 results foundAuthor: Holdaway, Simon Title: Prolific Shoplifters in Nottinghamshire Summary: - Data about sixty-three prolific shoplifters offending in Nottinghamshire between July 2012-July 2013 have been analysed. The extent of their crime requires special consideration and a prevention strategy related to along with measures to address other types of shoplifters and their offences. - The research literature about shoplifting is meagre. None of it deals with persistent shoplifters. One important study, however, reminds us that the effectiveness of security personnel seems to be limited. Crime prevention measures, including the use of drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes, are probably of more importance. - 52 (82.5%) of the prolific offenders were male. 11 (17.5%) were female. - 40 (63%) of the offenders were between 28 and 46 years of age. This is the typical age-range for all offenders. - Almost all offenders were white Europeans (56 of 63). 5 of the 56 were from Eastern Europe. 7 were recorded as Black - About 80% (50) of them were unemployed during the research period. Just 3 of the 63 offenders (4.8%) were employed. - Most offenders (39) lived in The City Central, North and South areas and it seems they moved to and from premises frequently. One offender lived outside Nottinghamshire. - Before the research year, 89% (56 of 63) of the offenders committed individually between 26 and 50 shoplifting offences. 10 committed individually between 11 and 25 offences and 13 committed individually over 51 offences. - Between July 2012-July 2013, 7 offenders each committed over 10 shoplifting offences, 6 each committed just fewer than 10. 9 offenders each committed 8 offences. The 41 other offenders continued to commit theft from shops during this period. - During the research period, the 63 offenders stole 1510 items whilst committing 541 separate offences of shoplifting - The most frequently stolen goods were food and alcohol, followed by personal hygiene products, clothing and chocolate. The point is somewhat speculative but it seems the goods were for personal use as well as for sale in illegal markets, the size of which may well have expanded during recent years. - The gross value of 40% of goods stolen was over $50. However, this is not an indication of the cost of dealing with the prolific offenders. The costs of deploying shop, police officer, administrative staff and many other factors have to be calculated. - 50 of the 63 offenders have been supervised within a programme of integrated offender management. This included tagging, other management tactics and work with drug and alcohol rehabilitation agencies. - Officers have assessed a very significant majority of the group, 60, as misusing drugs and alcohol. Their offences sustain their drug and, or alcohol dependency. - Drugs and alcohol rehabilitation programmes are clearly within a broad definition of policing and crime prevention. The majority of the prolific offenders had been assessed by police officers as having drug and, or alcohol problems. During the research year, however, just 16 drug and 2 alcohol rehabilitation orders were aspects of 541 sentences delivered by courts. - An officer working in Nottinghamshire Police Integrated Offender Management team developed an innovative project (Operation Dormouse) to address the problem of prolific shoplifting in the city area. The co-location of police and alcohol, drugs and other personnel was central to this work. Extensive data were shared between all agencies involved. The commitment of retail managers and their security staff was vital. Local policing teams were also engaged. A close partnership between the police and staff from other agencies was therefore central to the work undertaken. - 37% (167) of the 232 cases for which sentencing data were available involved imprisonment, with an average sentence of 55 days. 28 days was the median length of sentence, the middle number of all sentence lengths. Many sentences were far shorter than 28 days. - 97% of the 232 offenders for which sentencing records were available were arrested for 7 or 8 further offences from 2 to 5 months and onwards after their first arrest during the research year. - A long term strategy to address shoplifting in Nottinghamshire, including offences by prolific offenders, is required. It should be developed on the basis of documented outcomes from Operation Dormouse and further systematic analysis of all relevant data. The approach to prolific offenders taken so far has led to reductions in offending but the extent to which such intense, closely coordinated work can be sustained, not least within the context of budget reductions, is a moot question for consideration. - Whatever the approach taken retail firms can be expected to play a greater role in the introduction of security measures to prevent shoplifting. Householders routinely purchase equipment to protect their property. This should also apply to measures such as tagging for retail firms. Details: Unpublished report, 2014. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 25, 2017 at: library.college.police.uk Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: library.college.police.uk Shelf Number: 145795 Keywords: Property TheftRetail TheftShopliftersShopliftingStolen Goods |