Irish Examiner view: Will shoplifting bring down the high street?

There is a weight of evidence, both anecdotal and official, that levels of shoplifting have reached epidemic proportions and have accelerated since the pandemic and lockdown

There has been a surge of thefts from shops in Ireland, as in other countries.

There is a continuing weight of evidence, anecdotal and official, that levels of shoplifting — a crime often unreported and unprosecuted —have reached epidemic proportions and have accelerated since the pandemic and lockdown.

It is a worldwide problem. In Britain, thefts have more than doubled in the past six years, reaching 8m last year, and costing shopkeepers €1.1bn. In San Francisco — blighted by homelessness, joblessness, and a devastating opioid crisis — some chains are pulling out due to shoplifting.

Other retailers have suspended the use of their self-checkout. It is not uncommon for higher-value items to be kept in stockrooms out of public sight and reach.

In Ireland, concerns are no different. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has reported a surge in thefts from shops, which have been at a 15-year high. A recent survey from the Retail Grocery Dairy & Allied Trades Association, which speaks for 4,000 members throughout the Republic of Ireland, made depressing reading for anyone who believes we live in an orderly society with general respect for law and order.

Results from the owners of 400 convenience shops, forecourt stores, and supermarkets found that 95% have been victims of shoplifting, robberies, and burglaries in the last 12 months. 

While police response to offences involving direct violence was viewed positively, satisfaction rates fell when the treatment of shoplifting and drive-offs was questioned.

Retailers were deeply critical of the court system for failing to impose proper sanctions or deterrents against offenders convicted of crimes that are viewed as “petty”, sending the message that these are “acceptable” or “tolerated”. Only 25% of cases were prosecuted.

Listening to such cases can be a chastening experience. In Cork, a woman aged 40 with 299 previous convictions was jailed for six months in January for shoplifting, but she was out in March committing more thefts. She was subsequently sentenced to 12 months in prison.

In another typically bleak report, a reoffending mother of four was sentenced to 30 days after appearing on charges of stealing four cans of energy drink and two packets of marshmallows.

The majority of thieves rob their local shops. But if it continues, bricks-and-mortar retailers will be unable to survive and we will move to an even greater reliance on socially-divisive internet services. 

That will be another blow to the concept of community that so many people are anxious to cherish and promote.