I went to a supermarket lately (a quite big one) and saw someone filling his backpack while he thought he was alone in an aisle.

I asked what he was doing, he looked like I offended him, said "nothing" (there was an unsaid "mind your own business" ) and went away. I tried to tell the cashier what I just saw but they just said "we can't do anything - neither stop him nor call the police". I asked and what about the video camera over there, he should be on the video when he passed by.. Doesn't work, they said.

So this is what I call a thiefs paradise. They don't seem to care. The administration doesn't want the employes to get involved. Impressive.

And the guy is surely not the only one and he surely continue doing it.

How is this handled in your region?

 

well, I know that at big stores, security cannot do anything until the person tries to leave which is why sales people are not allowed to interfere and have to call security who come down and monitor the situation to see if they can resolve it. There are some convoluted legal reasons behind this.

 

When I lived in the Philippines, there are uniformed guards with tactical shotguns guarding everything, including standing at the entrance of McDonalds. I doubt they would actually shoot anybody, but they're intimidating enough to keep petty thievery and armed robbery to a minimum.

Here in Houston, it's much less intimidation and much more surveillance sneakery. I think all the grocery stores have at least one guy watching cameras. But I'm not sure if I think that because they want me to think that or because it's true. I've never tested the system. I think I might be able to walk out of the grocery with a backpack full of food but I've never tried.

 

Same over here, if you are still in the shop you haven't stolen anything, they can only stop you outside.
<rant> We've got those security tags on everything of any value over here, I'm not sure how many people it actually catches, but they are really annoying.
Half the time (I'm exaggerating a bit) the cashiers don't deactivate the tags and I go outside and get dragged back in by security. Sometimes the door scanners don't work and then you go in the next shop and their door alarm goes off. I've bought clothes and bottles of booze, taken them home and then found unremovable tags on them. When you go back to the shop they think you are pulling a scam. If you use the self checkout machines they don't deactivate the tags and then security drag you back into the shop. </rant>

 

There could be a number of reasons. 1. the owner operator my be too low on funds for video system, and the person to run it. 2. He may have adapted to the Holland mentality, which is steal my bike, shoplift food from the store but just don't mug my grandma. But broken camera's are a huge problem, me and another tech buddy who installs alarm systems have been thinking about making and selling an HD security system with 1080p camera's. It would be pricy but I think banks in LA alone could give you a complete multi milliondollar biz figuring there having 2000-3000 bank robberies a year and rising every day. On guy did the math and saw there was a robbery in LA at a bank every 36 minutes round the clock 24/7 365.

About your issue remember they can tape him or witness him on Day1, then arrest or detain him on day 5. So doing it repeatedly is just bad crime.