Forum Topic

Police Arrest 'Prolific' Shoplifter in Boots Store

Not sure this was too difficult an arrest... not exactly Sherlock Holmes stuff... there is a small group of folk that look dishevelled... including a poor blonde haired lady in her 30s who looks more troubled by the day... one can only assume substances being used and dealt... who march up and down Devonshire Rd from the housing estate to the High Road... in and out of shops... not hard to spot... or catch... if there was proper security present in the neighbourhood

Emma Elizabeth ● 635d13 Comments

The riots are a different problem that cannot be ignored.

Janice Evans ● 630d

Janice, every community has its relatively small share of down & outs.The spectacle of feral teenagers invading the JD store and other outlets in Oxford Street during the week (a throwback to the 2011 riots/looting) is a far deeper problem which won't go away simply by banning TikTok.I believe I know what the problem is but a local discussion on the subject is probably too contentious for local discussion.

Denis I. Fox ● 631d

Prevention, warnings should be given while at school because quite oftenthey are drawn into this addictive life at a young age.  They turn into something you no longer recognise they cannot communicate sufficientlyfor help to have any effect once they are addicted.  They become very sickpeople it's very sad to see.

Janice Evans ● 631d

It is hard to see how to break the cycle here. People will call for tougher penalties and jail but these are no deterrent to addicts and prison cells are already full to bursting. Fundng for support with dealing with addiction is worse. Police can boast about arrests and a more pro-active approach is to be welcomed although it is treating a symptom not the cause.What worries me is that the current dire economic situation is going to see more people slide off the edge and be reduced to having to steal to fund addiction. We may end up in a situation as in the States where stores have items on display but you go to a counter to order them rather than collect and bring to a till.

Anita Blake ● 631d

Junkie, even!

Elle Jones ● 631d

Outside Dyas today and saw a jumkie run out with a large box - fair play to a staff member who ran after him, to which the guy dropped the box! Kudos

Elle Jones ● 631d

I think the shops do circulate photos of anyone stealing to warn others, I know the supermarkets do this.

Janice Evans ● 631d

There are no Police in Chiswick anymore. We used to have two regular beat Bobbies but now it's very rare to see a Police officer

Tim English ● 632d

Police arresting a shoplifter is good news for everyone.Sadly, Chiswick High Road shops and the shops just off it, seem to have become regular and routine targets for a group of shoplifters, some of whom seem to live locally.The "poor blonde haired lady in her 30s" mentioned earlier probably needs help, but she also appears to be part of a local shoplifting gang. They are brazen and increasingly fearless. Our local businesses and mainly their staff, need protecting from them. We need to take a firm stand against  shoplifting.  Action is needed.They (the shoplifters) are well known to Chiswick shop staff and its incredible that our justice system does nothing to reduce this scourge on our whole society.  It seems to be tolerated !  Tolerating these crimes just creates an incubation to other more serious crimes (recent machete muggings in Chiswick).  Please can we have Chiswick gain a  reputation for stopping, detaining and arresting shoplifters.  This criminal activity feeds into & supports other criminal activities like robbery, drug dealing and burglary.  Lets post photos of shoplifters and show them the tide has turned against their 'comfort zone' of theft.Don't let Chiswick descend into a bad reputation.

Roland Bolowski ● 632d

I have been given wrong info then it must be what you have seen unless it was another store I was told about.

Janice Evans ● 632d

Police were outside boots richmond yesterday. Beside the car was a big carboard box and what i quickly see was bottles of drink and expensive type razor packs. Not that the drink came from boots.

Julian Pavey ● 632d

I heard they are stealing baby milk powder, not for hard up mums to feed the baby but to mix with drugs to split and sell on, sadly each addicted person becomes a dealer in their on right to finance the habit.  They use what they need then mix it with anything to bulk up, divide and sell on.

Janice Evans ● 633d

The problem seems to have been endemic for some time and apparently has been getting worse. It has to be hoped that the police making a big deal of this latest arrest signals a change of approach under the new Met commissioner. He held a meeting at the University of West London recently to outline his new plan. I didn't make it along but know people who did who said they really liked the emphasis on beefing up the Safer Neighbourhoods teams. Since he took the job he has appointed a senior officer to oversee this side of policing.There is no point in pretending that this isn't a complex problem with most of the offenders having profound problems with addiction issues but the feeling was before that the police were basically telling shops that theft was just another cost of doing business.If the new regime is going to take a more pro-active approach this has to be good news.

Anita Blake ● 635d