Sharon White is right – theft is ‘epidemic’ on the British high street. But more security measures won’t fix our unequal society, says an anonymous supermarket worker based in south-east England
Sharon White is right – theft is ‘epidemic’ on the British high street. But more security measures won’t fix our unequal societyhen I got a job as a supermarket worker five years ago, I did not believe that shoplifting would be a problem. I am from west Africa, and I just couldn’t see how it would happen in Britain, where there is a benefits system, many opportunities and security guards in shops.
Then there are people with addiction problems who focus on stealing high value items they can sell to fund their habit. Their demeanour means they may be spotted by staff and security guards, and challenged.and are ravenously hungry. Their focus is less on stealing high-value items and more on urgently filling their empty stomachs. I spent a period street-homeless several years ago, so I know what it feels like to be hungry and have no means of getting a meal.
You get to see all of society in a supermarket, from the wealthiest who load their trolleys with food they can and do pay for, to the poorest who can’t even afford to buy a bread roll. I sometimes see old people stealing because their pension hasn’t stretched far enough; or people who can’t get work, or aren’t allowed to work for one reason or another, stealing to eat. My heart goes out to them because I can see how much they’re struggling.
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