Robert Jenrick has called for “greater powers” to be given to security staff in Britain’s shops as the nation faces an “epidemic” of shoplifting.
Speaking to GB News, the Reform UK Treasury Spokesman declared that staff must stop being “urban scarecrows” and standing around, watching the crime happen.
Reflecting on the incident, Mr Jenrick told GB News he is “sick” of the growing shoplifting “epidemic” across the country.
He said: “I’m absolutely sick of this epidemic of shoplifting that we’re seeing on our streets, people brazenly going into shops and nicking things.
“Some parts of our country now have got, frankly, feral people going in every couple of minutes into the likes of Greggs, just picking stuff off the shelves.”
He argued that the rise in theft is “destroying the high-trust society” Britain once was.
Robert Jenrick has called for more powers to be given to store security amid Britain’s shoplifting ‘epidemic’
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GB NEWS
The MP said: “I was in Brixton market during the week and saw it for myself. It’s absolutely disgusting. It’s destroying the high-trust society that we all want to see, and it is costing people money that they can’t afford.
“It is costing the average family over £50 a week and that is rising rapidly because acquisitive crime, shoplifting is ballooning in much of the country right now.”
Detailing what his party would do to tackle the issue, Mr Jenrick set out three ways in which they can reduce crime in our shops.
He told GB News: “What is Reform going to do about it? Well, we’re going to get more police officers out on the street, and we’re actually going to instruct them to arrest these people and send them to jail, the opposite of what the Labour Government is doing.
Robert Jenrick confronted a shoplifter after being caught stealing a bottled drink from a store in Brixton
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REFORM UK“On average, it takes 30 convictions for these types of offences to even go to jail, and now you’re seeing, thanks to Andy Burnham and the early release scheme, these people just waltzing out of prison.
“Enough. We’ve got to restore the basic norms in our country. You pay for things in shops and law abiding people are protected.”
Mr Jenrick also called for security staff in stores to be given “greater powers” to restrain those who steal until the police arrive.
He explained: “When I was in Brixton market during the week, about every 10 minutes something was being stolen and no police whatsoever, so there is a need for a stronger police presence on our high streets. That would be a deterrent.
Mr Jenrick told GB News that Britain’s high-trust society is being ‘degraded’
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GB NEWS
“Secondly, I’d actually like to see the security guards outside these stores be given greater powers so that they can hold on to these people until the police are able to arrive.
“Enough of what’s known as urban scarecrows, just standing there watching it happen.That is degrading our society because people think they’re a joke.”
Mr Jenrick argued: “And actually, although I don’t believe in vigilantism, I do think it’s time to fight back a bit, and for law abiding people to call out those who are breaking the law, who are stealing things and have the courage to stand up and be counted.
“Because we love this country, we love the norms of our country. We don’t want to see this degraded and the high-trust society that I certainly feel I grew up in just be trashed by feral people who don’t care one jot about this country.”