I know from experience that, good idea though it seems, as soon as you contact the Police and they then ask people to be witnesses, the vast majority will say:
"Oh, no, I don't want to get involved, 'cos then they'll know I grassed 'em up and my windows will get put in/car tyres slashed etc etc" - Then it all turns to rat sh!t.
I'm inclined to agree with both of you, when I was working in retail a few years ago before retiring, we had a "rogues gallery" for the habtual shoplifters, I think most large stores do, but it isn't widely discussed, I suppose it is seen as in infringement of peoples human rights (cr*p)
personally I don't see what rights these sewer rats should have!
daffy has made a very valid point. It is nevertheless an infuriating situation for communities to have to endure.
The real problem lies in the fact that there are no credible deterrents which could dissuade the morons in the first place.
This kind of thing is far from isolated and all sorts of excuses keep getting made for the thuggish behaviour: "there's nothing for kids to do around here" / "he had a tough upbringing" / "he's from a broken home" / "he gets easily bored" / "he got in with a bad crowd" / "he was bullied at school" / "he was disrespected by the blind old woman next door" / "his balaclava fell off and he was recognised" / "he only had the large kitchen knife, knuckle duster, handgun and baseball bat in case that crippled man with the autistic child attacked him." "the 5kg of heroin was strictly for personal use - he's not a dealer" "he only raped the 89 year old lady because his father sexually abused him as a child."
Judge: "Well, now, in view of such mitigating factors, there is no case to answer: you may go!"
This should be made illegal. No one should be allowed to make unfounded accusations like she has done. It must also be in breach of human rights legislation, why does the UK always flout this law? The Internet Ombudsman should have her removed from Facebook. I won't use the site again until she's been deleted.
Oh, DS, it is soooo easy for you to sit there in Sweden pontificating the way it should be here, tell me, do you have the same kind of loutish behaviour there?