Anyone see that star article " stealing to survive " ?

[Eric_Collins 11]

I often wonder what people do that have their benefits sanctioned, I was reading a blog a few weeks back that said that 700,000 claimants had been sanctioned this year:o

 

Unfortunately I cant find the blog again to post the url, but I managed to find some official stats that go some way to support the statement.

 

http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/PQ_FOI/PQ/2013/146919fr.pdf

 

Are these people really left to steal or starve? sounds like a recipe for trouble to me - does anyone know?

 

The sanctions are and do get inflicted by the recipients. My brother was in receipt of sanctions because he couldn't get his ass out of bed to sign on for his free money. He has a family which meant no of them had cash.

 

If they can't be bothered to tick a box for free cash then what chances do they have to do that for graft to earn money ?

[Hemibr 10]

I saw it, but Istill don't get the point of the headline, I thought there was going to be tales of woes inside from young mums describing how they are having to resort to stealing jars of baby food from boots in order to feed their baby....alas, it was a list of recently stolen items in Sheffield and as mentioned that included engine oil. Very very few people steal to survive so the headline was ridiculous.

 

I was in Asda on't cross two weeks back when the security gave chase to some bloke who'd just walked through the checkouts with a trolley full of goods. They brought the trolley back to the checkouts & scanned the items to total how much he'd attempted to steal.

 

There was around 10 four packs of 1664 lager, three frozen lamb legs & 2 loafs of crustybread. It totalled £74

 

The booze wasn't for his consumption, if it was he would've taken 1 or 2 crates rather than 10 four packs. He'd obviously stolen them to sell on. If he needed to survive he would've walked out with a trolley full of food.

 

Isnt first person witness a clincher - see it and therefor knwo its true. I was in court 1 of Sheffield magistrates a few weeks back to see a homeless guy who had lifted 2 DVDs from tesco - escaped undetected then went to confess to the security who it seems werent that secure on this occasion.

 

He wanted to be placed before the courts in order to request a custodial sentence in order to ride out the bad weather which was of a severity which probably would have given him a slow death in his situation,

 

Star didnt report that one.

[NorthernStar 11]

The sanctions are and do get inflicted by the recipients. My brother was in receipt of sanctions because he couldn't get his ass out of bed to sign on for his free money. He has a family which meant no of them had cash.

 

If they can't be bothered to tick a box for free cash then what chances do they have to do that for graft to earn money ?

 

So did he and his family just starve then, what else did they do to eat?

[Eric_Collins 11]

So did he and his family just starve then, what else did they do to eat?

 

Borrowed £30 off my mum.

 

The sanctions lasted 1 week. The excuse to the dole was " I couldn't remember what day it was to sign on ". Mind he's only been on dole for as long as I can remember so I guess you could loose track of days with all that lolling in bed till 3pm.

Edited April 21, 2013 by Eric_Collins

[Resident 1,193]

I work in retail security and can safely say that 99% of shoplifters I catch do not do it to survive, most do it for the thrill, or because they think they will get away with it.

 

A few weeks ago I caught a middle class lady about 60yrs old, she had stolen loads of meat, claimed she was desperate and did it for her homeless grand daughter. Personally I don't think her grand daughter needed nearly 100 pound worth of top of the range fillet steaks.

 

The stars article is a load of tosh.

 

My question to her would have been if she's your grand-daughter and homeless why haven't you taken her in?

[spats 10]

article should have read....stealing to fund drug habit....after selling on the goodies....

Having worked in the retail sector a fair bit, I would say the the above applies to most people who shoplift. The clever ones work to a 'list' of what they need to steal that day, compiled of requests from friends, neighbours, relatives or people they meet in the pub.

Mostly the money generated from selling stolen items funds a habit whether it be drugs, alcohol etc. For others it's just an easy way to make a bit on the side. Every retail outlet is a target from superstores to supermarkets, even Charity Shops.

There is also a significant percentage of what I would call 'middle class' shoplifters, who dont need to steal but get a buzz from it. There are a few 'dotty old ladies' who genuinely cant help themselves, but usually people who should know better use it as an excuse to carry out their crime.

Not one shoplifter I've ever come into contact with was ever stealing 'to survive'.

[Vague_Boy 10]

That's exactly what I thought when I read the article....Talk about sensationalism.

 

A misinterpretation of (or blatant disregard for) the facts? Sounds like some posters on here I could mention.

[ryder8904 10]

My question to her would have been if she's your grand-daughter and homeless why haven't you taken her in?

 

Didnt give a stuff if I am honest with you, its my job to detect and detain, its up to the management what they want to ask or do with them.

 

Almost always sob stories will be ignored and the police will be called unless the value of the items is ridiculously low.

[mikebatty 10]

Someone dropped off the star yesterday which I think was Fridays copy. It had 10 pictures on the front of sheffielders on the rob from shops with the banner STEALING TO SURVIVE.

 

The build up was set to feel like these people were stealing beans , milk bread etc..... You know the type of thing.

 

When you read the actual page ( which was page 8 I recall ) and saw the " stealing to survive " the things they were stealing was , beer, engine oil ,wine, fags ...... Engine oil ! Engine oil !!

 

Thought the story was about how hard up some people were and not enough and almost starving !! Not a single one of the reported shoplifting crimes " to survive " involved food stuff, only stuff like booze ,fags and engine oil twice !

 

I read the article of the 19th. by Clair Lewis in the star , only to find that most of the the quotes on this thread were far , far off the mark .

The article quite clearly quoted a spokesman from the chamber of commerce and the chief constable as saying that the majority of items were indeed meat, cheese , and general food stuff - including baby milk . They also commented that the trend was alarming but , that the trend may be a reflection of there being a problem of " Less disposable income ". This is a more understanding view of the problem by people in the know than some of the contributors of this thread .

This is a sad reflection of views of what depths some people are being reduced to - almost Dickensian in content .

There are plenty of threads on the forum , which direct the problem of poverty , more appropriately , to the real cause .Your contributions would be far more effective directed to those .

[Eric_Collins 11]

I read the article of the 19th. by Clair Lewis in the star , only to find that most of the the quotes on this thread were far , far off the mark .

The article quite clearly quoted a spokesman from the chamber of commerce and the chief constable as saying that the majority of items were indeed meat, cheese , and general food stuff - including baby milk . They also commented that the trend was alarming but , that the trend may be a reflection of there being a problem of " Less disposable income ". This is a more understanding view of the problem by people in the know than some of the contributors of this thread .

This is a sad reflection of views of what depths some people are being reduced to - almost Dickensian in content .

There are plenty of threads on the forum , which direct the problem of poverty , more appropriately , to the real cause .Your contributions would be far more effective directed to those .

 

But then why display a montage of shoplifters with the banner " stealing to survive " but the shoplifters were clearly hardened pro's not opportunist starving people , its like putting a photo of the M1 with the banner " speeding on sheffield roads ".

[Penistone999 10]

article should have read....stealing to fund drug habit....after selling on the goodies....

 

Spot on mate...... stealing to order from a shopping list of requests from the regulars in the local boozer. Profitable little business.

 

Did you see the "Secrets of the Shoplifters on channel 4 this week ? it showed south yorkshires finest light fingered wasters in action.

[teeny 10]

We all know stealing is wrong , but here there is no need we have food banks and other help available, When i visit Zimbabwe we have mothers imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread where there is no food or help !! some have been in the woman's prison for more than 4 years ( with their children ) at the age of the 3 the child is removed and taken to the government orphanage if there is no family member to care !!