Store detectives - legal rights

[dave50]

After watching a program on TV last night about shoplifting and store detectives, I was wondering what rights store detectives employed by shops have to physically detain people using force even though they may be suspected of shoplifting and also once the suspect gets out onto the street, have they any legal powers to actually force people back into the shop to wait for the police?

[MoonRocker]

They can arrest and detain and wait for the police. They cannot force people back into the shop.

[rockyracoon]

I think they can only use reaonable force to detain someone, although what constitutes reasonable I don't know.

[hc4361]

The same legal rights as you, me and your mum.

The statutory power of any member of the public in England and Wales to detain someone they consider to be involved in criminal activity is to be found in section 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1974. A person "other than a constable" may arrest without a warrant anyone:

Who is in the act of committing an indictable offence; or whom the person has reasonable grounds to suspect is committing an indictable offence.
http://www.guardian.c...de-to-citizens-arrest

[New Judge]

They have no powers beyond those which any citizen has. They can only detain someone if they are absolutely sure that an offence has been committed. They cannot detain somebody if they only suspect an offence has taken place. In no circumstances do they have the power to search.

[ummmm]

The store detective that works outside the shops had been given his handcuffs back by the police. So obviously they can arrest people and then wait for the police.

[ummmm]

NJ - they only physically detained people that were threat.

[abstibus]

A new Lidl opened near here last week. On the second morning, at about 10.30, I saw a young man trying to shoplift booze. His female friend tried to restrain him and managed to get him into the car park, where a full fight broke out between him, the girl and another. The security staff could not touch him, and I can imagine their frustration. Apparently, he had done the same thing in opening day.
One of the promotion girls in the coffee tent said that at one Lidl opening in another town they had had to abandon everything and run because of this kind of behaviour.

[ummmm]

Why could they not touch him?

Anyone can split up a fight...

Do store detectives have to be registered like doormen?