A shop manager has put up posters of suspected shoplifters in his window after becoming fed up with a lack of action to the petty crime by the police.
John Keppie blew up CCTV images and placed home-made posters bearing the word ‘thief’ in his Bournemouth shop window after he says three girls spat in his face and stole drinks.
The Sweet Thoughts boss in Dorset said he took action after police failed to investigate, despite being offered the footage. But he claims officers have now warned him he could be fined for the posters.
John Keppie (pictured) was shocked when police told him he could be fined for putting the pictures up in his window
Several members of the public have also given the names of the alleged offenders to staff.
But Mr Keppie said that since the three posters appeared he has received a telephone call from the police telling him he isn’t allowed to have them up. He could be in breach of the Data Protection Act (2018) and liable to a fine.
His actions come after other shop owners across the country claim police have given up investigating shoplifting incidents due to a lack of manpower. In some cases there has been compelling CCTV evidence.
Mr Keppie said he’s ‘had enough’ and resolved to keep the posters up until somebody comes to remove them.
The shop manager says he’s sick of a lack of police action in response to thefts and decided to print off these pictures to shame the suspects
‘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,’ he said. ‘The 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 that they have to deal with.
‘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 onto 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.’
Kevin Strudwick, the crime manager for Bournemouth Business Reducing Crime Partnership, a co-operative of local business, police and council representatives said the ‘wanted’ posters risked turning the resort into the ‘Wild West’.
The shop manager (pictured) says the girls spat in his face after stealing from his drink selection in the store
Mr Strudwick said: ‘Unfortunately with Data Protection laws you have to be very careful with what you do.
‘Putting “wanted” posters on the wall is returning to the old days of the Wild West. The CPS 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 who 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 believes 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 offences of shoplifting were reported to Dorset Police in the month of June.
Chief Inspector Bryan Duffy, of Bournemouth police, said: ‘We have a number of different initiatives currently in place for reported shoplifting and encourage people to report it even if there may not be the opportunities to detect or prosecute.
‘The figures show that overall incidents are reducing but I understand that this will be little consolation if you feel you are being targeted.’