Shoplifting is a crime we’re all very familiar with.
Many may feel the cost of living crisis has made the problem worse.
But today we report on an explosion in the cost of thieving in our shops.
And it seems much of the problem is driven by organised gangs who believe there is little risk of arrest.
Many of those worst hit by shoplifting are small business owners – people running their own shops. And they are usually people who are also acutely exposed to the cost of living crisis.
Many businesses have closed due to falling revenues and rising costs – and have to deal with the threat of violent attacks, which are also increasing.
The revelation a record £170million is being lost to shoplifting in a single year reveals a growing brazenness among thieves, a feeling of entitlement to steal and a disrespect for the law.
Many of the worst thieves target small operations, where they know defences will be weak.
But too many “low level” thefts don’t get investigated and sometimes police don’t turn up when they do get a call.
And the endless churn of courts – where cases get put back and offenders escape with warnings – can often add to the feeling that a deterrent to shoplifting barely exists.
The Scottish Government should heed calls to fund Police Scotland officers with a specific focus on tackling low level community crime.
And persistent offenders should be made to see the huge damage they cause through their stealing.
Community service should be used to pay back society and allow thieves to think twice about repeat offending.
Stuck in slow lane
In 2020, the SNP Government set a goal to cut car use among Scots by 20 per cent by the end of the decade.
But progress towards that target has been nearly non-existent with a “lack of leadership” from Holyrood ministers, watchdogs now say.
It’s a familiar story of bold targets being set – but the hard work of making them a reality falling by the wayside.
Popular policies which might have helped, such as the scrapping of peak rail fares, have been ditched.
Since Covid, cars on the roads have actually increased to pre-pandemic levels and public transport use has fallen.
The bottom line is this target is not going to be met by magic. Ministers must urgently drive action and investment in Scotland’s overpriced and underperforming rail and bus networks.
It’s just common sense that people will leave their cars at home only if there is a cheap, efficient and comprehensive public transport system they can rely on.
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