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Wednesday, March 31, 1999 Published at 10:36 GMT 11:36 UK
UK
Youth crime 'costing shops £120m'
Retailers spend millions on preventing pilfering
One in five shoplifters is under 18 and juveniles account for 750,000 offences a year, according to research published on Wednesday.
The sixth Retail Crime Survey shows a fall in the number of crimes against shops but there remains concern at the high levels of shoplifting among the young.
Shoplifting is costing retailers £604m a year and under 18s are responsible for a fifth of it.
Just over half (54%) of these juvenile shoplifters were male.
Home Secretary Jack Straw, speaking at the European Retail Crime Conference in London, said: "We've got to stop using the word 'shoplifting'. It's like the term 'joy-riding'.
"We have invented these euphemisms to pretend they're not really crimes.
"Joy-riding brings no joy to anyone. There should be no joy in shop theft and shop crime. We must get away from the idea there are no victims involved."
First time youth crime measured
It is the first time the survey, carried out by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), has measured youth crime.
The report found a decrease in burglary, robbery and violence against shopkeepers.
This follows a massive investment in crime prevention measures by retailers.
![[ image: Shoplifting is on the increase among the young]](/olmedia/305000/images/_308488_shelves.jpg) |
| Shoplifting is on the increase among the young |
Spending on crime prevention rose from £450m to £550m in the same period.
Electronic protection
Pro-active measures include electronic tagging and exit gates, more store detectives and better training for shop staff.
The number of burglaries, attacks on staff and robberies all fell along with the value of goods lost through shoplifting and theft by staff.
The cost of fraud rose from £27m to £70m, a rise thought to be caused by better detection of crimes.
The survey found:
The BRC said the fight against crime was being helped by partnership crime prevention schemes involving police, town centre managers and retailers.
'Partnership is crucial'
Mr Straw said: "Partnership is a crucial part of reducing the crime and disorder which plague our communities.
"CCTV provides an excellent example of what can be achieved through partnership between the police, retailers and local authorities."
Jeweller Trevor Boyden has set up just such a partnership scheme in the Hampshire market town of Petersfield.
More than 20 retailers in the town have joined Shopwatch since its launch in November 1998.
'Spectacular success'
For around £300 they get a permanent walkie-talkie link to the town's dedicated beat officer, John Beaton.
Mr Boyden says: "It enables them to contact him if there is an incident or a suspicious individual."
He said two thieves were caught on the first day of operation and Shopwatch has led to a dramatic drop in the town's crime rate.
The BRC meanwhile is to set up a retail crime database which will contain data on theft, burglary, robbery and extortion.
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