Challenging theft isn’t just a job for the police, it’s a task for the whole of society

I pulled back the curtains just in time to see the thief reach through the broken car window and steal a bag. For a second our eyes met, and then he was off.

I’d just come home so still had my shoes on and keys in my pocket so without a thought, I was out the door and after him. He was younger and faster but I kept him in sight until he dashed down a dark lane between houses.

That’s where I stopped, my initial enthusiasm for the chase replaced with thoughts of knives, blood and the fact that it wasn’t even my bag he’d stolen.

At least I’d tried. Kemi Badenoch would have been proud of me. The Tory Leader says people should not just “look away” when crimes are committed, or criminals would think “that they can get away with it”. To prove the point, she said she’d be willing to confront a shoplifter if they were “not too big”.

Shoplifting seems to be out of control at the moment with cases rising 20 per cent in just twelve months. Experts point to the cost of living crisis and the move to self serve checkouts but there is something else as well. Shoplifters believe they can get away with it and often they are right.

Staff are discouraged from confronting thieves in case violence follows. And if a case does end up in court, the justice system doesn’t appear to take it particularly seriously.

So why should we get involved? Well there are a couple of reasons. A skint mother stealing food for a hungry toddler is one thing but the majority of the time it is people helping themselves to four sirloin steaks and a bottle of vodka. That’s just common thieving. Get away with that and what comes next? How about car theft or tax evasion or handling stolen goods? The possibilities are endless when law and order doesn’t seem to matter anymore.

On top of that, shoplifting is not a victimless crime. We all end up paying more for goods as the cost of the loss is inevitably passed on to consumers through higher prices. In other words, we all suffer because one person decides they don’t want to pay.

So shoplifting needs to become socially unacceptable. There was a time when having a few pints and the driving home was seen as no big deal. Then some high profile horrific accidents and a hard hitting public information campaign changed attitudes. Now only an absolute cretin thinks it is OK to drink and drive.

Shoplifting needs to go on the same journey and that means saying something when we spot it. For a start we need to call it what it is actually is - shop theft. We should report it to staff when we see it or challenge the person verbally if not physically.

Otherwise we risk entering a downward spiral with other crimes growing and proliferating. Challenging theft isn’t just a job for the police, it’s a task for the whole of society and that means we all have to play our part.