Some retailers 'to blame' for shoplifting epidemic that affects them the most warn top cop and security boss

SOME retailers are to blame for the shoplifting epidemic for their feeble response and unwillingness to prosecute according to Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley (top left) and a security leader.

Sir Mark would not name uncooperative retailers but called out the industry after saying police had stepped up their response to the problem after being urged to by retailers two years ago.even

He even warned of a number of cases where corrupt shop security were aiding and abetting shoplifting gangs to steal.

The Commissioner himself has arrived late to the issue, as police were also part of the problem for their own poor response to the epidemic, according to Dave McKelvey, CEO of private security firm My Local Bobby (top right) and its sister private investigation business TM Eye.

My Local Bobby provides uniformed security officers that carry out patrols and undercover teams who monitor prolific offenders.

Meanwhile TM Eye will carry out private prosecutions on behalf of retailers in cases where the crown won't prosecute.

They operate the "Broken Windows" policy and old-style "Peelian policing" to stamp out more minor issues in an area to prevent an escalation in crime.

My Local Bobby officers are often the first responders in their areas and detain suspects until police hopefully arrive to make arrests and investigate further.

Mr McKelvey has been calling out the poor response of police and some retailers to shoplifting for years.

He welcomed Sir Mark's late arrival to the issue.

He posted on Linkedin: "The Commissioner is now publicly acknowledging concerns that some of us have been raising for years.

"Certain heads of retail security, who I will not name at this stage, have been instrumental in creating the perfect conditions for the current tsunami of shoplifting and the disgraceful level of assaults on their own staff and contracted security officers.

"I have repeatedly challenged their policies, their decision-making, and their refusal to engage properly with policing and prosecutions. Doing so has not made me popular, but being popular was never the job.

"Perhaps now the CEOs of major retailers will finally take a long, hard look at who they have placed in these critical roles, and the damage caused by some frankly appalling decisions.

"Retail crime doesn’t thrive in a vacuum. It thrives when weak policy, poor leadership, and risk-averse thinking are allowed to run unchecked."

It came after Sir Mark earlier said: “Retailers were right to be ‘cross’ with police two years ago after forces failed to respond to stores’ pleas to tackle the growing threat from shoplifting. But over the last year, the Met has really doubled down.

"Now, some shops are failing to pull their weight and are not doing enough to help police catch offenders.

"I’ve got too many cases where store security is corrupt, is in league with criminals and is part of the problem. We’ve got too many cases where shops don’t supply the video evidence of the crime, and too many cases where the policy is that their staff will not be given time to make statements, or will not be given time to go to court.

"They were right to say to us, ‘Please step up more’. And we have done. But now they need to step up more. There are some of them who are fantastic. And I’m not going to name a good and bad list, that would be invidious, but I’m just putting a marker down.”