Perth and Kinross councillor claims bold shoplifter walked out store with a trolley of stolen goods

Perth and Kinross' most senior cops have encouraged shopkeepers to report shoplifting from the theft of a Mars bar to someone brazenly walking out with a trolley of unpaid goods.

Tayside's division commander and the Perth and Kinross area commander were this week quizzed by councillors following a 53 per cent rise in shoplifting in the area.

One councillor was "absolutely shocked" by staff's lack of response after witnessing a large quantity of meat being stolen from a local store as he and others claimed some shops see no point in reporting shoplifting to the police.

The latest Perth and Kinross policing report showed the number of shoplifting incidents had risen from 516 the previous year to 787 for April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024. The report went before Perth and Kinross Council's Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee on Wednesday, June 19.

Following lengthy discussion around shoplifting, Conservative councillor Frank Smith said: "I saw quite a large theft of meat going from a well-known store in the area here and I was absolutely shocked at the response of people.

"I was stopped from chasing after them and the supervisor said to me, 'Just let them go, we see it all the time and nobody seems to do anything'.

"Another shop assistant said, 'I chase them but we don't know what they've got in their hand, etc'.

"What worried me about the situation is that they said it's the same people all the time coming back again and again.

"I was also told about an incident in another supermarket where a person walked in, filled a trolley and simply walked out. My worry about the shoplifting situation is it's now very serious and it's now got to the situation where people almost expect to walk in and take the goods away.

"Why are the shopkeepers not taking it seriously? Are they not getting the back-up from yourselves?"

Interim Tayside division commander chief superintendent Nicola Russell said: "We can only deal with what we're told about."

She referred to the Retailers Against Crime approach - the not for profit crime partnership helps detect and prevent crime. She pledged to take further details from Cllr Smith regarding the incidents "and do some proactive work and engagement in those stores".

Ch Supt Russell added: "It's not acceptable. We absolutely will not tolerate individuals filling trolleys and walking out of shops to be unchallenged or untackled, but we can't deal with it if we don't know about it.

"Shops will absolutely be supported by us if they contact us for that. We will respond and we will deal with those crimes; they will be recorded and they'll be investigated and - providing we can get sufficient evidence - then we'll look to identify those individuals and deal with them accordingly through the justice process."

In March, Police Scotland announced following the success of a 12-week pilot of the Proportionate Response to Crime, the process would be rolled out across the country freeing up officer time.

Conservative Carse of Gowrie councillor Angus Forbes told Ch Supt Russell and area commander Ch Insp Greg Burns: "In my ward, one of the local shops tells me that they suffer shoplifting pretty much every single day and they just don't bother phoning the police.

"They're citing difficulty in getting through on the 101 service and a perception that it's very low level crime and for the sake of a few Mars bars or a jar of coffee, it's really not worth doing.

"Would you still encourage shop owners and their staff to call the police - even for something like a few Mars bars?"

Ch Supt Russell highlighted Police Scotland's rollout of the Proportionate Response to Crime and police attendance when there is significant need.

She added: "That's not to negate that a crime's occurred or indeed not to record it and we would encourage all members of the community whether that's shop premises or otherwise to contact the police if a crime has taken place.

"A number of shops have their own thresholds for when they contact the police and that's ultimately a matter they've taken into their own hands as to values and what they feel is significant enough for reporting. However, we put no threshold on that so if a shop or establishment wishes to call the police for the theft of a Mars Bar - as you have highlighted - then we would ask that they do that."

Ch Insp Greg Burns said: "Behind every crime is a victim. Regardless of whether it's a Mars bar or a penny chew, there's always going to be a victim."

He added: "Every crime should be reported and there's a variety of ways to report that. Please don't feel just because it's a Mars bar, it's not worth reporting."

Perth City Centre councillor Peter Barrett also said he believed the shoplifting figures were much higher than those recorded.

He said: "I don't think we are capturing the actual levels of shoplifting in Perth and Kinross at the moment.

"In light of the chief superintendent's comments about the Proportionate Response to Crime, what reassurance can you provide us that we will continue to enjoy the enhanced level of response in the city centre that we have had as we move forward throughout the rest of the year?"

Ch Supt Russell assured Cllr Barrett: "We look at the priorities we have got in the division - of which acquisitive crime and shoplifting is one of them."

She added: "It would be remiss not to highlight that potentially some of that increase in shoplifting comes due to the cost of living crisis and actually there are potentially other vulnerabilities that sit behind shoplifting as opposed to maybe people stealing for the sake of it.

"Nine times out of ten those vulnerabilities include people that are looking to support alcohol or drug habits or indeed - tragic to say - put food on the table for them and their family.

"We will absolutely continue to tackle that so we can provide support and signposting to those individuals that are vulnerable so hopefully prevent and deter them from committing crime and also get them the wider wellbeing support that's required."

In terms of the proportionate response to crime she said they would "record it and then look at the factors that would support appropriate investigation" such as witnesses and CCTV footage.