Why won’t the police help me?
Store boss puts photos of shoplifting suspects in his window... and officers say HE’S the one breaking the law
‘They said it wasn’t important enough’
A shopkeeper who put up posters of three alleged thieves in his front window was ordered by police to take them down – and warned he could be breaking the law.
John keppie, who runs a sweet shop, took action after officers failed to investigate a string of thefts caught by his CCTV cameras.
he created stills of the suspects – all teenage girls – in A4 size, printed the word ‘Thief’ above them and stuck the posters in the window.
Customers supported the move, with several people identifying the girls.
But he then received a call from local police claiming he could be breaching the Data protection Act and liable to a fine.
Mr keppie, 31, who said the girls spat at him as he gave chase when they fled from his store, explained: ‘It was me who put the pictures in the window because I’ve had enough of it now.
‘I’ve spoken to the police and I know I’m not meant to have them up but until someone actually comes down and makes me take them down then they will be staying up. Three girls came in and stole three drinks from the fridge.
‘I gave chase and they actually turned round and spat at me. I told the police but they said they have more important things to deal with.’
Mr keppie, of Bournemouth, Dorset, added: ‘one officer came down here and spent literally seven seconds in the shop. Their response did not leave me best pleased. I know I’m not meant to have the pictures up, but if they’re big enough to steal and spit in my face then they’re big enough to deal with it.
‘one of the things I’ve done now is send the pictures to every school in Bournemouth and poole asking if the girls attended there.
‘I didn’t need a name – just a yes or no. one got back to me and I passed that on to the police but as yet I’m still waiting to hear if anything has happened.
‘shoplifting is a fairly common occurrence and you can spot the ones who do it from the minute they walk in the shop.’
police are under fire for turning their backs on low-level crimes as they struggle to tackle a wave of street violence. Many forces will not investigate thefts of goods worth less than £200, leaving store owners angry and frustrated.
It is thought organised gangs are deliberately restricting the amount they steal from each shop to escape police interest.
kevin strudwick, of Bournemouth Business reducing Crime partnership, claimed: ‘putting “Wanted” posters on the wall is returning to the old days of the Wild West.
‘The Crown prosecution service would not look upon it as the right thing to do and the police would also take a dim view.
‘I sympathise with any shop which has sustained losses as they are devastating but you have to follow the laws, simple as that. It would be a different story if the shoplifter was convicted and you showed the poster to staff at the back of the store but never on public display.
‘You also could have the situation where someone’s parents or grandparents could see the poster and they had no idea about what had happened, which would a great shock for them.
‘The best course of action is to report the incident to the police, make a statement and let them do their job. putting up posters is illegal.’ Mr strudwick added that he believed shoplifting in Bournemouth town centre is increasing due to a reduced police presence.
he said: ‘I’m not blaming the police but it doesn’t take the criminals long to realise that the police presence in the town has gone down. You never see officers on the beat and the shoplifters know they can get away with it.’
Last week a security guard was injured while trying to detain an alleged shoplifter outside Debenhams in Bournemouth.
Latest figures reveal that 30 shoplifting offences were reported to Dorset police in June.
Chief Inspector Bryan Duffy, of Bournemouth police, said: ‘We have a number of different initiatives currently in place for reporting shoplifting and encourage people to report it even if there may not be the opportunities to detect or prosecute.
‘The figures show overall incidents are reducing but I understand this will be little consolation if you feel you are being targeted.’
The Information Commissioner’s office said: ‘organisations that process personal data, including CCTV footage of identifiable individuals, need to ensure they comply with their obligations under data protection law.
‘This includes letting people know you are collecting the footage, keeping the images secure, and only disclosing the images when it is necessary to do so.’