NEWPORT: CAPITAL OF SHOPLIFTING
N EWPORT has the highest rate of shoplifting in Wales, with a rate that is almost twice the UK average – and drugs have been blamed.
Home Office figures show there were 1,672 incidents recorded by police in the 12 months up to and including September 2016. That’s up from 1,359 recorded in Newport over the same period the year before.
It translates to one case for every 88 residents – twice the Wales average of one report for every 176 people and almost double the UK average of one in 167. Newport’s rate is the 11thworst in England and Wales, with Westminster the worst, with one case for every 59 people. Martin Blake- brough, who runs drugs charity Kaleidoscope, said: “There is definitely a correlation between drug use and crime – that is the reason why the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office and others put money into drugs services.
“It is right to say there is a link between drugs and crime but the problem is weaning people off crime as well as weaning people off drugs.”
He said there was not enough “reeducation about not committing crime”.
“People who once used to steal trainers to get drugs instead just steal them to wear,” Mr Blakebrough said.
“It can take quite a while to change that behaviour. If you’re not used to spending money on things you carry on not spending money on things.”
Shopkeeper Dean Beddis, who runs Kriminal Records in Newport Market, said he believed the true rate was even higher.
“There are people who may be homeless or take certain drugs or whatever, whether it is heroin or crack – they may steal because they need to feed their habits. But there are also people who are homeless who get looked at like they are thieves, even though they may not be. And there are people who just like stealing because they get a buzz off it.
“As a kid I did it and I regret it. As a shopkeeper I’ve had people steal from me so maybe that is karma.
“I’ve got a sign up now saying ‘Please don’t steal from me’. I think it works because people can see that they are not stealing from a big multinational but taking money from my family’s pockets.”
People have tried to sell him goods he suspected were stolen.
“I’ve had people come in and offer me boxes of cheese and I’ve been offered packets of ham and razor blades,” he said.
“When people bring in records I scrutinise them because I cannot stand the thought of people robbing houses, although that is something different.”
He said he wasn’t targeted by thieves often because he’s just a few feet from customers in his store.
“I don’t suffer from it much, though I once had a girl nick 10 heavy metal CDs from me,” he said. “I’ve not seen her since.” Gwent Police’s Newport and Monmouthshire Superintendent Matthew Williams said shoplifting was recorded as a crime if “individual stores contact us to report it”.
“It doesn’t get recorded if individual stores decide against reporting the incident, which is why figures sometimes vary.