TRADERS in Bournemouth said shoplifting happens “every single day”.
The manager of a town centre newsagents, who asked not to be identified, said: “It’s happening all the time, every single day. It has a huge impact on profits for us.
“Sometimes there’s violence too. It can be very nasty and we’d like more support.”
Independent trader Kelly Bushaway said: “It’s so upsetting. It happens so often.”
The comments came as Dorset Police says it is continuing to deal with shoplifters who steal goods worth less than £200 - but officers from other forces aren’t, according to new reports.
Retailers have recently accused government ministers of failing to halt a sharp rise in shoplifting after it was claimed criminals who steal items worth less than the £200 threshold won’t be pursued by police. The Daily Telegraph reported most police forces no longer attend calls relating to shop theft and will only send out an officer if there has been violence or threats.
Officers from Dorset Police continue to attend reports of shoplifting, including those where goods valued below the £200 threshold are stolen.
As reported in the Daily Echo, 4,398 shoplifting incidents were reported to the force between April 2016 and March 2017. In 2016, the average value of a theft from a shop in Bournemouth was £116.14. In 2015, it was £82.62, up from £74.40 in 2014 and £69.57 in 2013.
Bournemouth Businesses Reducing Crime - a not-for-profit members partnership between businesses, the police, town centre management and the council - banned 307 people from shops in the town centre last year.
Police in Dorset have recently advised businesses to invest in properly-managed CCTV systems as as part of a bid to stop shoplifters.
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