Caught While Shoplifting

[iiiiio]

Caught while shoplifting worth £20. They took me to a room and asked my address and other personal details. I got banned from the store nationally. What happens next? Will I be sent a letter at my home address? Will I be put under criminal records? Will other household member be able to shop online as their address matches with mine too?

[murraymints]

might get a letter...no criminal record...might ping surname with address... don' t know how a national store can police you going into another store though as all security would have to recognise your face etc..a simple change of appearance would bypass that I would imagine

[iiiiio]

They called the police to confirm my personal details though. Also, they took a photo of mine and said I'll be marked as a tresspasser if they see me in stores again. Is it risky to get in other branches of the same store?

[Jackdaw33]

Just be thankful you're not up in court.

[murraymints]

as I said..your photo will have been circulated..but a wee bit time and a change in appearance how would they know ?

[murraymints]

even if they called police you have not been charged or even cautioned..they were probably checking that there was no warrant for arrest pending to see if you were a serial offender, then they would have come out and arrested you.. do not worry..just don't be so daft again !

[trt]

There must be a reason you are shop lifting iiii, do you do it often?

Is it because your short of money, or you just get a kick out of it, whatever the reason, you should stop, or maybe you will one day go to prison.

[EDDIE51]

Big shops now have CCTV with facial recognition so if you try to get in the CCTV identifies you from the photo they took. Your photo will be in the central database so you will be recognised wherever you try to go into the same chain of shops anywhere in the UK.

[HansUrbancka]

Perhaps in future, you should wear a Niqab. Even then the CCTV may Identify you from Eye Recognition.

Be grateful that you have only been banned from a chain of stores and are Not being taken to Court.

Hans.

[david small]

As a thief you will be on a database including your photograph if they have one. Also your name, address and details about you. Don't do it, it's not worth it.

[iiiiio]

Thank you all for words and advices.
I have heard people dodge by changing appearance and not getting caught. I wonder how that works.

[iiiiio]

I havent found a clear answer to this. Will my family be stopped while shopping in store or online as it matches the postcode and address?

[EDDIE51]

No it is only you that is banned. But if you go shopping with your friends and family it is going to be embarrassing when you get thrown out or refused entry. There will be a letter sent to your home with the details of the ban so you may want to get that before your parents see it!

[jno]

I don't see why: it's you that's banned, not your address.

[ladybirder]

Am I naive to be surprised that you can get caught stealing and not get prosecuted?

[hc4361]

ladybirder, in my local paper's 'in court this week' section there is always a few shoplifters - often shoplifting from Poundland. Don't suppose they are first offenders, though

[ladybirder]

Thanks hc. Richard Madeley came to mind as I remember he was prosecuted for walking out of a shop without paying for a bottle of bubbly and I assumed it was his 1st offence. Perhaps iiiiio isn't famous enough.

[hc4361]

Madeley was caught twice, ladybirder.

[ladybirder]

Was he really? I didn't know that. And let off the first time?

[hc4361]

I don't know if he was let off the first time or it came to light after his arrest the second time

[EDDIE51]

Shoplifting is treated as a minor crime unless it is by a 'professional' or repeated many times.
As I just said in another post, it takes 2 to 4 hours for a police officer to fill in the paper work after an arrest (a shoplifter has to be arrested to take a case to court) A lifetime ban from the shop in question is a lot more effective , quicker and saves a lot of time.
Do you really expect or want thousands of hours of police time to be spent processing shoplifters,when most shoplifting involves £20 worth of goods or less?
Even if a shoplifter is taken to court the normal result is a, fixed penalty notice, which is not a criminal conviction anyway and does not nearly cover the cost of the arrest and paperwork.