Retail staff said they have noticed an increase in shoplifters in Gillingham, with one shop owner raising concerns over the safety of his female employees. Steve Still, who has been trading on the high street for 15 years, said he was forced to install more CCTV cameras in a bid to protect his staff.
In his store where he sells pets and their accessories, Steve said shoplifting incidents are "fairly regular". Unable to estimate the exact number, he said he is worried about the situation getting worse.
Recalling a recent incident, he told KentLive: "Some of them get away with it but I'd say it's fairly regular. We've had a lady stealing cat food. We've put it on social media and people put it on there that I am mean because 'the poor lady is trying to feed her cat'.
"The next door neighbour came in, recognised her from the picture and said the lady hasn't got a cat. So people steal things that they don't need but it's an opportunity for them to sell them.
"Last week I caught somebody stealing £50 worth of dog harnesses. That's four harnesses. I'm sure they haven't got four dogs. So they just steal them and then sell them. They don't steal things they need, they steal things they can get money from."
To prevent this from happening, he installed more cameras in an effort to catch the thieves. He added: "It's obviously going to get worse. We're trying to get an eye out. We have got more security, more cameras."
When asked what he would like the police to do in the area, he said: "Arrest people. Only twice I got compensated. Police should follow up the leads better than what they do."
'There's no real type'
Steve said he told his employees to be careful when catching people stealing. He said: "Because I'm a man, and I've done a lot of physical things, I'm not intimidated. But normally I have ladies working here, and I do worry for them, and I always tell them not to confront people. I don't think they're as safe as they should be."
He added: "It's hard to work out if stuff has been stolen. They haven't got a sign saying "thief". We caught old ladies, one guy that I know for a fact has been a customer of mine for years, there's no real type. But some people do act suspicious.
"The cameras are all over, some you can see, some you can't. I've got an app on my phone so I can watch remotely. If there are many customers and the employee is serving then I'll keep an eye."
'This year has been really bad'
Favour Akpasubi started working at Euni Star on the High Street more than a year ago. She said the issue has been getting worse over the past 12 months.
She said: "This year has been really bad. It has been happening more frequently. Particularly students - some of them just walked in and stole a rubber band or a comb.
"There was a time where I had to ask 'is it a game?' Because I don't get it. Are they telling each other 'who can do it?'
"The last time was a week or two ago. I'm always checking and I feel bad because when I look at people it's not the best way to deal with customers.
"It wasn't that bad at first, one or two cases of parents sending their young kids in with one trying to distract you, it wasn't that bad at first, it is starting to become a bit frequent now. We need proper response from the police, because if there are no consequences to the action, it's repeating itself."
'I've stopped too many people'
Manager for Kent Cash & Carry Abdul Khan said he took the matter into his own hands. He said: "I've stopped too many people. They steal them and sell them. I just stop them, take my stuff and tell them not to come anymore. It'd be good if the police would walk in the area, they'd scare them. Because they are stealing from other stores, like Iceland.
"We don't have more people stealing, but it's always the same people. Sometimes I give them a banana but I tell them to not steal, if they asked I'd give them, but not if they steal. But then they say "we don't need it (banana) Weekly when it's busy, they come in."
Owner of a store near the train station Sher Thapa said the issue is young people and those coming from nearby towns. He said: "In this shop I don't see any problem with local people but I see sometimes from people from Chatham or Rainham, they steal things. They would walk in, pick up and run. I've been here long enough, so people recognise me, and I recognise them. Sometimes I see problems with homeless people.
"The last incident I'd say was two weeks ago. They stole just a drink. One stole wine, beers. Minor problems but it's still ongoing. Most of them are young people. I don't report people because [police] don't come."
However, Kent Police said they are committed to protecting local businesses. Shoplifters have been arrested and stores around Kent given crime prevention advice during Safer Business Action Week.The campaign, which ran from Monday, October 14, is a national week of action organised by the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC), during which police and partner agencies work together to tackle business crime.
Kent Police officers have visited more than 400 businesses, including shops in every town in the county. They spoke to staff and managers, heard concerns about crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) and gave advice on how to report any issues.
Around the county, more than 90 arrests were made for shoplifting and town centre ASB, with vehicles linked to theft seized and Community Protection Warnings issued to repeat offenders.
District Commander for Medway, Chief Inspector Garry Cook, said: "Kent Police understands the damaging impact that shoplifting can have on businesses which is why we have dedicated officers who regularly patrol urban and rural Medway locations where shops are based. These local officers work to understand local concerns, as well as the movements of known and repeat offenders.
"Quite often it is the action of a few individuals who cause a disproportionate effect on the wider community. It is pleasing to see that since May this year we have interviewed more suspects month on month, which shows the level of intervention officers are having in tackling this issue. Further to this, we have already secured 40 shoplifting charges in October alone.
"Our ongoing partnership work is key to tackling this issue, and officers have established robust and long-lasting relationships with local businesses. They are on hand to address any ongoing concerns and provide advice and support where needed. I would encourage any business owners with concerns who have not yet spoken to local officers to ensure they report these concerns so they can be addressed efficiently and diligently."
In the three-month period there have been 1,244 reports in Kent where a suspect has been interviewed for a shoplifting offence, this is an increase of 23.3 per cent with 235 more suspects interviewed in the same period last year. All three months in this period have seen increases on the previous year.
Suspects Interviewed
Last year
% Change
Number change
May 2024
384
339
13.3%
45
June 2024
438
302
45.0%
136
July 2024
422
368
14.7%
54
3 Month total
1244
1009
23.3%
235
Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott said: "In terms of Police reports, shoplifting is an under reported crime. However, I am working with Kent Police and retailers to support shopworkers, increase reporting and bring more offenders to justice.
"We recently supported Safer Business Week of Action to target prolific offenders. Officers and Staff have been proactive in working with businesses to make them safer. And my Retail Crime Board will improve relationships between policing and business."
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