What can I do if i know someone is stealing from the shop?

Question

i am supervisor in a small shop. today a young lad came in a tried stealing something, i managed to get to the end of the shop before he did, and demanded he give back what he stole, he took it out of his pocket but didnt let go of it whilst trying to get past me, i touched his jacket with my hands on his chest and shouted at him to give it back - i didnt restrain him , but the stopping gesture i gave him made him give back the item, and he left promptly. we have caught this in cctv.

i am unsure of the laws about restraining thieves, or what to do if i suspect someone of stealing

can i restrain them? do i have to wait till they are outside? do i just let them leave???

what do i do?

what are the laws?

i cant find anything on the net about it at all

thanks x

Answer 1

Have a chat with the Police on the Phone about this, then you will be clear on what you can do and what you can't.

Answer 2

I don't think you can accuse them of stealing if they haven't left the shop, you can ask them if they need to return to the till to pay for something!

I also don't think you can restrain a thief.

Try putting up signs stating the CCTV is in operation and that thieves will be prosecuted!

I wonder if you can make a citezens arrest? Maybe get in touch with the local police and see what they recommend.

  

Answer 3

You must have police siren recorded and play it loudly when ever you feel danger. it must be installed little away from your shop. Just press the button in emergency and then see what happens, however always record these kinds of scenes and show it latter on to the police so that thy must be informed and it can help you catching these thieves.

Answer 4

First thing, call the police and show them the tape.  They may do nothing, but at least you have it on record.

If the young man comes back to your shop, ask him to leave immediately and tell him he's not welcome there.

Each state has different laws about what you can do to restrain someone who is stealing from you.  In general, though, you cannot escalate to violence against someone who is stealing property from you.

Some states have fines that can be imposed by the store owner against the thief.

Check out your state laws.  Asking at the police department what the proper procedure is might get you some answers too.

Answer 5

Call and discuss this issue with your local police department and ask them how to handle it.

In general, you should do no more than confront the thief and tell them they are on camera pocketing items and will be arrested from the video if they do not return the items before leaving the store.  Tell them you've already called police and they are on the way.  They usually drop the stuff and run, and never come back.  I used to point to the camera, and every time, they'll look where you're pointing and give the camera a nice face shot!

It is possible that you could be charged if you physically restrain anyone, and it's not okay to lock the door and not let them out.  Since you have cameras, you don't need to risk yourself in any way to keep them there until police arrive!  It is also possible that if a thief pushes you out of the way or something as they leave, they could be charged with assault, even if they put the items down before leaving -- another way to have the police interact with them.

Answer 6

Yes you can! If security guards can do it why cant you? Your not assaulting him because he has stole from you so your are making an arrest,as long as you phone the police then everything should be ok

Answer 7

Anyone can, under English law, detain someone they KNOW has committed an arrestable offence, and use reasonable force to do so. Theft is an arrestable offence. The important word is KNOW, which differentiates the citizen from a police officer who may arrest on SUSPICION.

The normal parameters are:      

Selection - did you see the individual select the product

Concealment - did you see it concealed

Observation - did you watch the individual with the item

Non-payment - did you watch the individual pass the point of payment option (the till)

Exit - did the individual leave the store

Answer 8

You are allowed to use what is commonly known as " reasonably force ". You can restrain someone & take them into the store managers office & detain the thief there, whilst waiting for the police to attend.

Good luck. X :-)

Answer 9

You should call the local police; get a good description of the person who is shoplifting...if he's caught, you can press charges against him....I don't think you were wrong in what you did to stop him and get the item returned....the only thing I would caution is that if he looks like he has any sort of weapon...let him go and get the police involved....nothing in your shop is worth getting killed or injured over; There could also be repercussions over you restraining him if he decides to press charges against you for assault...but usually someone who is shoplifting isn't going to do that...and you in this case have it all on tape...so good for you.

Answer 10

The best evidence for a shop thief is to let them pass the point of payment (tills) before detaining them.  This doesn't have to be done as you can confront them before this point but its better evidence.

As for restraining them, you have the same 'powers' as any other member of the public in that you can use reasonable force to restrain, arrest someone or to defend yourself against an imminent attack from someone.

Having said that, you have to always bear in mind your own personal safety.  It’s not worth getting hurt for any item of property.

Bear in mind that if you do lay hands on someone you are technically assaulting them but this may be overlooked if you are doing it for the prevention of crime of the apprehension of offenders providing you are no too 'over the top' with your actions/use of force.