scared about rlp and the police

[User4567]

Hi, I wanted to know, my friend (who sort of frequently takes things from stores) told me that on thursday she took stuff from some retail shops all down the road from each other and wasn't caught, and the next day she went back and took stuff from one store, but as she was leaving the second store she got caught, had to write down her details but as an under 18 the police werent called. They found her with stuff from the first store and the second store and said shed have to pay a fine via rlp, but shes worried the first store will remember her from the day before and alert the store that got her to try look at cctv from the day before, and then they will find her getting stuff from a couple shops (she said she didnt take loads but still). I think all those shops may use this claim company, ergo is it possible they will find out who she is and either send civil claims to her too, or as she was caught and is now receiving a claim will they ask to hike up the price asked or something. Or could they call the police as she did it previously and they weren't able to catch her in the act so they'll retroactively prosecute her? Please help I'm worried for her. Shes really sorry and has since gone in and paid for stuff she took but as if shes just buying it then.

[ostell]

RLP do not have the authority to issue fines, that's down to the courts. They've will be sending an invoice for their imagined loss, a loss that the courts rejected some time ago but they still try. And you won't be going anywhere near a court. The police weren't called and will not be interested.

They won't be looking at the CCTV, they won't want to spend that amount of time looking at it, it's a real pain to do that.

How on earth can your friend have paid for things without buying them?

[User4567]

As in she took them but then went back to the shops she took them from and either put them back or went to checkouts and actually bought them

[User4567]

Are you sure, even if its in a high profile area that she got stuff from? Im really worried for her as that week she was active and then that day and the day before in the same place!

She only really does this when she's sad, though not an excuse, I know she doesn't deserve anything terrible to happen to her.

[User4567]

Hi, so my friend told me she had an item from the day before in her bag. If you know who was to get security evidence, would they look at cameras the day before to see if she was there and then as she made it out of the store undetected with a few items, would they take this as grounds to charge her? Because as that incident wasn't prevented would a claim still be what is used?

[User4567]

She has since returned the items as well

[des8]

Hi
Tell your friend to see her doctor and get help.
Her behaviour (taking items when she is sad) tends to suggest she is suffering from depression.
Her doctor will understand, will not be judgemental, will not tell her parents and could help her.

If she continues with this pattern of theft (the same shops one day after another) it will be noted and she will be in trouble.
At present the shops will not be going back through their CCTV as it is very time consuming and costly.

As already mentioned, the demand from RLP is not a fine and can be safely ignored, as can their follow up letters.

[User4567]

Thank you for the advice, I will try mentioning the doctor to her, but I don't believe she will be doing this again. She can barely hold it together as is now and I think it's made her behavioural tendencies worse but not in a thieving way anymore. I hope this all goes away and then she'll have the reassurance she needs that everything is going to be alright.