A security guard has issued a stark warning about what he describes as 'out of control' shoplifting at supermarkets, with goods worth up to £4,000 being stolen every week from a single store. Kane Manning, 28, who has worked in security for three years, believes that staff should take a more proactive stance against theft, contrary to the advice given by union leaders.
Union advice vs. reality on the front line
The Security Industry Federation (SIF) has advised its members to observe, report, and act as expert witnesses for the police, but to avoid physically intervening in thefts. Manning, from Brighton, agrees that staff should not put themselves in danger, but he strongly feels that challenging shoplifters is an essential part of the job. 'If we don't challenge the behaviour, they'll just keep coming back for more because they're getting away with it,' he said.
Scale of the problem
At the store where Manning works, up to £2,000 worth of goods are stolen over a weekend, and around £400 on weekdays. Popular items include meat and baby formula. Manning receives up to three death threats a week and faces violent verbal abuse up to 20 times a day. Despite being 5ft 11ins and a 15st amateur boxer, he remains concerned for his safety.
'Shoplifting is totally out of control and getting worse and worse. Shoplifters have become much more aggressive over the years I've been working in security,' Manning said. 'They get very angry and call you names even if you're just patrolling and not even looking at them.'
De-escalation tactics
Manning advocates for a calm and polite approach. 'We need to keep calm and de-escalate situations, and ask people politely to pay for the goods they want. We shouldn't be grabbing stuff from people, or blocking the exits, or anything that will aggravate a situation,' he explained. He typically says, 'Excuse me sir/madam, but I can see you haven't paid for that,' and asks them to pay. Most either pay or drop the goods and leave.
However, he learned a hard lesson six months ago when he blocked an exit and the thief reached for a knife. 'I let him take the stuff and go. I learned my lesson not to block that day. It's hard not to interfere like that, but it's definitely not worth the risk,' he said.
Threats and organised crime
Manning received a death threat over £5 worth of sandwiches just a few weeks ago. 'I asked him to pay for them and he started shouting that he was going to wait for my shift to finish and kill me. He was very abusive, but he did actually leave,' he recalled.
He also noted that organised gangs send teams of thugs into his store to steal high-value items for resale. Shoplifters range in age from 15 to late 60s, and they often work in pairs, with one stealing while the other acts as a decoy. Some mothers drop packets of formula into the bottom of pushchairs as they shop.
Call for more police and protective measures
Manning believes that security staff should wear body cameras and, where possible, stab vests. 'We need more police. The government need to invest more money in policing so that police can patrol more and deal with shoplifting. It needs to be sorted before more security staff get killed or badly hurt,' he said.
