Shoplifting in cost of living crisis 'never an excuse'
A police chief in Merseyside, UK, stated that shoplifting is never excusable, even for families struggling during the cost of living crisis, despite acknowledging the pressures. He outlined three types of offenders and noted a significant increase in shoplifting incidents since the pandemic, with many cases going unreported.
Why it matters
This article highlights the growing social and economic challenges faced by communities, the strain on law enforcement, and the impact on businesses, reflecting broader societal issues related to poverty and crime.
Image caption, Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss was answering listeners' questions on BBC Radio Merseyside's Hot Seat phone-in
A police chief has said there can never be an excuse for shoplifting, even when families are struggling to feed children during the cost of living crisis.
Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss, from Merseyside Police, who is also the National Police Chiefs' Council's lead on retail crime, was responding to listeners' questions on BBC Radio Merseyside 's Hotseat phone-in on what can be done to stop the thefts.
One listener said some shoplifters were "just mums trying to feed their children".
But Goss said that while he had sympathy "fully appreciated" the position that some families were in, there were "other avenues you can look at for support".
"There's never going to be an excuse to steal something from a shop that doesn't belong to you," he said.
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