Chichester man arrested for jeans burglary amid surge of retail crimes
Photo by Prudence Earl on Unsplash
A man faces charges of burglary in connection to the theft of over 50 pairs of designer jeans from a clothes shop, Crew Clothing, in South Street, Chichester, on Wednesday, December 13.
Police responded to reports of a burglary at around 10 PM and discovered thousands of pounds worth of stock missing. Following the report, Andrew Irvine, aged 51, of Green Lane in Chichester, was arrested and charged with burglary. His trial is scheduled to take place before Worthing Magistrates’ Court on January 24 in connection with the incident.
About two weeks earlier, two individuals were also charged and jailed for offences involving crimes committed in different clothing stores.
On December 12, Takunda Kamanga of Farnborough Road, Farnborough, was sentenced at Basingstoke Magistrates. He received a 10-month jail term for breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) and shoplifting in Aldershot. The court learned that Kamanga had threatened an individual and stolen Nike clothing valued at over £195 from Sports Direct in Aldershot on December 10.
The CBO, which took effect on December 1, prohibited him from entering Aldershot for two years. Kamanga received the CBO following incidents where items exceeding £520 in value were stolen from JD Sports, Bargain Buys, and Boots in Aldershot from October 31 to November 8.
One day later, at Newport Crown Court, details emerged regarding Kai Jones, aged 47, using power tools to forcibly enter Ystrad Headshop situated on Penallta Road in Ystrad Mynach. While the shop primarily retails vapes, it also stocks clothing and footwear items for online sale.
Prosecutor Alice Sykes said that Jones was identified during the burglary taking items valued at £8,479, which was confirmed through detectives reviewing CCTV footage of the incident. Police recovered power tools and a screwdriver from a Saab car accessible to the defendant.
Rising crime against clothing retail
These cases highlight a growing challenge clothing shops face against burglars and thefts. In October, 88 retail leaders penned a letter to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, urging measures to address escalating rates of retail crime. Their demands included stricter sentences for perpetrators and increased attention from UK police forces towards combating this issue.
Among those involved were fashion brands and retailers, including Dr Martens, Ann Summers, Burberry, Dune, H&M, Harvey Nichols, Jigsaw, John Lewis Partnership, JoJo Maman Bébé, JD Sports Fashion, Liberty Retail, Marks & Spencer, Matalan, New Look, Primark and Radley.
According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), retail theft amounted to £953 million in the year to March 2022, despite retailers spending over £700 million on crime prevention. By April 2023, the total cost of retail crime reached an estimated £1.76 billion.
The Office for National Statistics reported in July 2023 that there was a 24 percent year-on-year increase in shoplifting offences. The National Crime Agency warned that same month that the cost of living crisis threatened a new surge in crimes such as robbery.
To mitigate these issues, several stores are implementing various security measures, including body-worn cameras for security personnel and managers, increasing the number of security guards in-store, and installing additional CCTV. A spokesperson from Primark provided this information.
Apart from CCTV cameras and added personnel, retail and fashion shops can invest in electronic tagging. Tagged products can trigger an alarm if someone tries to leave without paying, effectively preventing shoplifting. Zara has implemented similar technology to safeguard its items.
Retail and fashion shop owners also have the option to enlist security firms like Marengo for tailored security solutions. These firms provide round-the-clock monitoring, surveillance services, and installation of both permanent and temporary residential security setups. They can also deploy additional personnel onsite 24/7 if necessary. On top of prevention, they can help shops respond effectively to security incidents.
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/24017826.chichester-man-charged-burglary-jeans-stolen-shop/
https://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/23994332.man-jailed-stealing-nike-clothing-sports-direct/
https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/23984517.jailed-ystrad-mynach-burglar-just-inherited-170-000/
