Shoplifting help

[Guest]

First I know what I did was wrong and I am so sorry for it’s but today I was caught leaving a store without paying for some items, the store detective said I will be sent a leer and fine. Can they involve the police after I have left? If they have watched cctv and seen I have done it before can they call the police. I know I am in the wrong I am just so sorry. Please help me.

[ostell]

If they haven't called the police at the time then they won't be doing so now.

they will not be wasting time trawling through cctv, it takes too long

The store can't fine you, only the courts can do that and you will not be getting anywhere near those.

You will be getting a letter asking you to pay for their losses. There have been no losses, you ignore

One of the companies that write these letters is RLP. Look round the forum for other mentions of RLP

[Porter29]

What if they go through cctv and see that this isn’t the first time I have done this? I can guarantee you that I will never ever do this again as this has frightened me and taught me a lesson. What is the worst case scenario? I’m sitting looking out my window waiting on a police car.

[ostell]

They will not be trawling through CCTV I can assure you. It takes too long and is a pain. That's from experience of having to trawl through knowing the times. If they don't know the times then they won't bother.

[Porter29]

What if they do know the times?

[Porter29]

What are the options of what can happen next? I’m so scared. I don’t know what to do.

[ostell]

How can they know the times?

To look at the CCTV they have to take an employee off another duty to look at the tapes. How many cameras do they have? So a simple a few hours looking for you is going to cost them more than you stole. Not worth the effort.

Just relax, nothing will happen, and ignore the begging letters from RLP or their ilk.

Search for and read the other RLP threads. They eventually go away.

[Porter29]

Because I go there at the same time every week. I know I have been stupid and I know I have done wrong but I am so scared about what can happen to me. The store said it wasn’t anything to do with them, it was a company that is brought in by the store. I don’t want to ignore any letter or fines incase I get into ever more trouble. Can the police be involved if they see I have done it regularly?

[ostell]

I doubt very much if they even know you go there regularly.

Again only a court can fine you. Not any itsy bitsy private company. They are trying to claim money because of their "losses" but there has been no loss as a court determined several years ago

[Porter29]

They do know because the assistants see me there every week. I hate myself. I’m so worried that the police are going to get involved.

[ostell]

The situation you are in occurs regularly on here. Why should you be any different from any one else? Just ignore and come back when or if you get the first letter.

Have you bothered to search for and read the other threads?

[Porter29]

It’s the police I’m worried about. Thank you for replying and your help, I’m just panicking. I feel awful

[des8]

You're obviously very concerned and worried, but that is only natural.
All that will happen though is that you will receive a series of begging letters that are designed to make you worry even more.
That is how these companies persuade people to pay their extortionate demands
Just ignore their letters and eventually they give up.
You can read the letters they send out here: https://legalbeagles.info/forums/for...rs-rlp-and-dwf so they won't be so upsetting when they arrive (the letters, not the police who will not be calling!)

[Porter29]

Thank you, do you think it’s likely that the police will be involved?

[Aged William]

As a serving police officer (a detective, not involved with low-level criminality) I can only summise what - if any - might happen if shop decides to investigate further, but it seems less and less likely these days.

However to answer the question, if they do subsequently report the OP to the police then the outcome would be dependent on the OP's offending history, their age, the value of goods that can be proven as stolen and any number of aggravating/mitigating factors.

Options open to me in similar circumstances include a stern talking-to in front of the offender's parents, issuing a Penalty Notice for Disorder or even arranging for a Community Remedy. If nothing else, at least the offender is now on my radar as a person to look out for in the future. But all this is moot as I doubt very much anything will happen in the OP's case beyond being banned from the shop, possibly.