UK - 3 Iceland Foods staff attacked by shoplifters, 2023

[dotr]

Shoplifters are infecting staff with HIV after needle attacks

EXCLUSIVE: Richard Walker is the latest retail leader to speak out about the increase in violent attacks on staff across the UK high street.

www.dailymail.co.uk

''Three Iceland staff are HIV positive after being attacked by shoplifters with hypodermic needles, the chain's boss has told MailOnline.

Richard Walker, executive chairman of Iceland Foods, is the latest retail leader to speak out about the increase in violent attacks on staff working at high street stores.

'Every single week I receive an average of 12 reports of ''serious incidents'' where managers and other colleagues have been attacked in our stores, almost always by shoplifters,' he told MailOnline.''

'Colleagues are being slapped, punched and threatened with a range of weapons including knives, hammers, firearms and hypodermic needles.

''Three of our store colleagues are now HIV positive as a result of needle attacks several years ago. Other assaults have resulted in injuries ranging from a broken jaw to a fractured skull.'

The idea of victims being infected with HIV after being attacked with infected needles has long been a dark urban myth, but Mr Walker's comments show this has now become a reality.

Staff at other chains have been punched, bottled and stabbed by thieves – who store security experts say are increasingly operating in organised criminal gangs.''

 

[dotr]

‘It’s organised looting’: UK in grip of a shoplifting epidemic, say store owners

Shop thefts have more than doubled in the past three years, costing retailers £953m a year, according to the British Retail Consortium

www.theguardian.com

''In recent months, David, the manager of a Leeds Co-op store, and his staff have been threatened with razors, knives, screwdrivers, needles and hammers by shoplifters who have become more brazen and aggressive.

“It feels like these offenders can simply come in and take what they want, and do what they want,” the 36-year-old said. “Not one or two items – they come in with bags, sacks or clothing, which can conceal hundreds of pounds’ worth of stock – coffee, meat, wine, laundry gel, anything that can be re-sold. It is looting. They are known in the city centre as repeat offenders … They know the police don’t have the resources or can’t attend quickly enough.”


Co-op said it had recorded its highest-ever levels of retail crime, shoplifting and antisocial behaviour in the six months to June, with almost 1,000 incidents each day. It claimed that police failed to respond to 71% of serious retail crimes, and that bosses were considering whether it was safe and commercially viable to keep some branches open.


Paul Gerrard, the chain’s director of public affairs and a former customs officer, described some of the shoplifting as “organised looting”, saying gangs would climb over kiosks and brazenly empty shelves into rucksacks, construction bags and even wheelie bins.

“We’ve had people come in with trolleys that they fill up with product and walk out. This is akin to organised looting on the high streets of the UK,” he said.''

“Criminals will target items that are easy to conceal, and that are quick and easy to resell on the black market.”

For Waitrose, that included alcohol, meat, tobacco substitutes and health and beauty products such as razor blades and toothbrush heads, she said. At John Lewis, it was wearable tech, fragrances and branded fashion''.

 

[Luwin]

They'll all be self service checkouts soon - no one will want to work there for minimum wage in those conditions! Awful

 

[PrairieWind]

"It claimed that police failed to respond to 71% of serious retail crimes"
That is crazy. There soon wont be any retail services available in that area anymore. Then what?

 

[LadyL]

I can't get my mouth up off the floor.

 

[LadyL]

it's happening here too
the violence, the theft, the brazenness

 

[LadyL]

"It claimed that police failed to respond to 71% of serious retail crimes"
That is crazy. There soon wont be any retail services available in that area anymore. Then what?

they don't respond here either (Canada) and many people don't even bother calling anymore or are told to report online and then no one follows up
the police are overwhelmed, overworked, and underfunded
retail stores are closing, drug zombies are controlling the streets living in their tents, citizens are policing their own neighbourhoods
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the apocalypse is here

 

[megs1477]

Wth…….I have no words!

 

[LaborDayRN]

The same thing (smash & grab they call it) is happening here in So Cal minus the hypodermic needles. That couldn't be more hateful & disgusting.
I'll stick with shopping online with the exception of some of my groceries. It's a darn shame when people don't feel safe just going to the store.
I wish I knew the answer to the problem. More arrests and longer prison sentences might help.
@LadyL The apocalyps. That's a frightening thought....

 

[Sonny Crockett]

This is absolutely horrific. They should charge these scum-bag shoplifters/thieves with murder for inflicting this illness on these workers. At the least, they should go to prison forever. Sickening!!!!!!

People who work @ retail jobs like this deserve hazard pay. Dealing with scum like this every day is extremely dangerous.

 

[Chimera]

Wth…….I have no words!

Well, maybe more severe consequences ?
What would a shoplifter fear more than being caught and charged and possibly some time in jail ?
Maybe being forced to pay twice the amount of the items stolen ?
Idk if that will ever be a possibility.

Those poor employees ... the attackers are truly revolting.
I'm so sorry for them, just doing their jobs !
Wish the thieves could be forced to pay their hospital costs !
B/c there will be medical bills.
Omo.

 

[d0lphin]

I saw a report on Sky News a few weeks ago on the violence and shoplifting in CoOp stores, people were literally going into the store with large rucksacks, taking what they wanted and walking out. Staff didn't approach them because they couldn't for their own safety.
I can only assume that they were stealing to sell on for drugs money.
If it's a daily occurrence in certain stores then there needs to be police presence.

In the case of people being attacked with needles, surely it's attempted murder if they are now HIV positive. If it isn't, it should be.

 

[cottonweaver]

I saw a report on Sky News a few weeks ago on the violence and shoplifting in CoOp stores, people were literally going into the store with large rucksacks, taking what they wanted and walking out. Staff didn't approach them because they couldn't for their own safety.
I can only assume that they were stealing to sell on for drugs money.
If it's a daily occurrence in certain stores then there needs to be police presence.

In the case of people being attacked with needles, surely it's attempted murder if they are now HIV positive. If it isn't, it should be.

yes it ought to be but the ' years ago' struck me.
'Three of our store colleagues are now HIV positive as a result of needle attacks several years ago'

Does that mean he doesn't know whether these crimes were reported to LE at the time? No action or follow-up?

 

[Dhighsmith]

I’ve seen the reports on the issues in California, assumed just isolated events. Then, learned of local grocery store that decided not to reopen after loss of inventory due to prolonged power outage related to Hurricane. Owner later made further statements that decision to close store result of significant losses from theft in past two years. That’s not only a loss for store owner and staff but to the community. We’re now forced to drive nearly 20 miles for grocery shopping, some people including the elderly have no means of transportation.

 

[QB2022]

I worked in greggs 2014/15. We had it drilled in to us to not chase or question shop lifters and just report it. The risk was too great to try and intervene. Sad state of affairs!

 

[dotr]

Interactive map shows UK shoplifting capitals - how bad is YOUR area?

EXCLUSIVE: Data obtained and analysed by MailOnline shows there have been more than a million record shoplifting offences in the past five years.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Sept 16 2023 rbbm
''We can reveal Surrey came out as the safest place in Britain when it comes to shoplifting.''

''The scourge of shoplifting on Britain's streets has seen retail bosses call for more police help in dealing with the problem.

Earlier this week, the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) said it is facing a £12million jump in the cost of shoplifting as bosses at the retail giant blamed a surge in organised crime.

Dame Sharon White, chairwoman of the department store owner, told reporters that the recent spate in shoplifting at stores was driven by 'crime groups' rather than thefts linked to the soaring cost of living.

The boss said she met with Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, earlier this week to discuss shoplifting.

The retailer called on the Government to change legislation in the England and Wales to make it a criminal offence to abuse shop workers, in line with current rules in Scotland.

On Monday, the boss of Primark called for police, prosecutors and magistrates to take the shoplifting crisis 'more seriously' after the clothing retailer experienced rising cases of thefts and attacks on employees. ''


''Last month, JLP's supermarket arm Waitrose said it was offering free tea and coffee to police officers in an effort to boost their presence around stores.

German discount supermarket chain Lidl said separately on Thursday it was stepping up investment in store security amid increasing rates of shoplifting, by ramping up CCTV coverage and rolling out more body-worn cameras in its outlets.

JD Sports was been at the eye of the shoplifting storm this month after widely-shared posts on TikTok and Snapchat two weeks ago invited yobs to wear balaclavas and gloves and 'rob JD Sports' on Oxford Street at 3pm on a Wednesday afternoon.

Other chains such as John Lewis, Waitrose Tesco, Sainsbury's and Boots are now issuing staff bodycams and training to deter violence from aggressive thieves''.

'London Shop Owners Lock Doors Amid Shoplifting Epidemic'

 

[LadyL]

yep, everything being posted about other areas is happening here too
except for here, the police don't even respond to shoplifting incidents and the criminals know it

it's bad here too because it is what is known as a 'sanctuary city' so people from other towns, even other provinces are being sent here on a bus to take advantage of the supposed resources we have (which include free drug paraphernalia) but when they get here, they realize that things are not much better and possibly even worse because of that influx - we have tent cities here now too and drug addicts shooting up everywhere in public, dumping their needles in parks and schoolyards

our homeless shelters are full - these people have nowhere to go except a tent or a motel very few can afford
and retail stores are limiting hours and closing - too much theft and sales are down because no one wants to deal with these zombies so we shop online

and people are getting all their possessions that they worked hard for, stolen, from vehicles to garden gnomes
locks don't stop them, alarms don't stop them, security lights don't stop them - they steal the lights!
it's a real mess

 

[cottonweaver]

Interactive map shows UK shoplifting capitals - how bad is YOUR area?

EXCLUSIVE: Data obtained and analysed by MailOnline shows there have been more than a million record shoplifting offences in the past five years.

www.dailymail.co.uk

View attachment 447482
Sept 16 2023 rbbm
''We can reveal Surrey came out as the safest place in Britain when it comes to shoplifting.''

''The scourge of shoplifting on Britain's streets has seen retail bosses call for more police help in dealing with the problem.

Earlier this week, the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) said it is facing a £12million jump in the cost of shoplifting as bosses at the retail giant blamed a surge in organised crime.

Dame Sharon White, chairwoman of the department store owner, told reporters that the recent spate in shoplifting at stores was driven by 'crime groups' rather than thefts linked to the soaring cost of living.

The boss said she met with Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, earlier this week to discuss shoplifting.

The retailer called on the Government to change legislation in the England and Wales to make it a criminal offence to abuse shop workers, in line with current rules in Scotland.

On Monday, the boss of Primark called for police, prosecutors and magistrates to take the shoplifting crisis 'more seriously' after the clothing retailer experienced rising cases of thefts and attacks on employees. ''


''Last month, JLP's supermarket arm Waitrose said it was offering free tea and coffee to police officers in an effort to boost their presence around stores.

German discount supermarket chain Lidl said separately on Thursday it was stepping up investment in store security amid increasing rates of shoplifting, by ramping up CCTV coverage and rolling out more body-worn cameras in its outlets.

JD Sports was been at the eye of the shoplifting storm this month after widely-shared posts on TikTok and Snapchat two weeks ago invited yobs to wear balaclavas and gloves and 'rob JD Sports' on Oxford Street at 3pm on a Wednesday afternoon.

Other chains such as John Lewis, Waitrose Tesco, Sainsbury's and Boots are now issuing staff bodycams and training to deter violence from aggressive thieves''.

'London Shop Owners Lock Doors Amid Shoplifting Epidemic'

It rates Surrey as the safest place, I wonder why that is....

 

[MarziPanda]

It has since been clarified that this whole story wasn't true. Which shouldn't surprise anyone who knows anything about HIV. The National AIDS Trust had to put out a statement that transmitting HIV this way is likely impossible and there have never been any cases of it happening, let alone three: We believe claims that HIV transmission occurred through needle attacks to Iceland staff are inaccurate and have fueled HIV stigma

The Daily Mail article has now been edited to add: “Since this article was first published, Iceland have clarified that they provided information to MailOnline in error, regarding staff being infected with HIV, and the article has been revised accordingly.”

 

[dotr]

It has since been clarified that this whole story wasn't true. Which shouldn't surprise anyone who knows anything about HIV. The National AIDS Trust had to put out a statement that transmitting HIV this way is likely impossible and there have never been any cases of it happening, let alone three: We believe claims that HIV transmission occurred through needle attacks to Iceland staff are inaccurate and have fueled HIV stigma

The Daily Mail article has now been edited to add: “Since this article was first published, Iceland have clarified that they provided information to MailOnline in error, regarding staff being infected with HIV, and the article has been revised accordingly.”

Thank you for posting this as the last thing wanted is negative info concerning HIV.
The thread should now focus on shoplifting and the dangers it presents to store workers and customers. imo.
Reported thread heading to be altered to just reflect the shoplifting problems.