It’s no secret that supermarkets struggle with shoplifters but what do they actually do when they suspect that someone is stealing? What is the Tesco shoplifting policy?
The security measures at individual Tesco locations vary. As a general rule, only security staff at Tesco are instructed to actually stop or detain shoplifters, and other employees are told not to confront them. Shoplifters will almost always be banned for life and the police will be involved in serious cases.
Read on to discover more!
Do All Tesco Supermarkets Handle Shoplifting The Same Way?
The first thing to be aware of when we’re talking about security policies at a big company like Tesco is that the rules and systems aren’t going to be universal at every store.
Tesco operates more than 4,500 locations of varying sizes across the UK. Many are small local Tesco Express stores with only a few members of staff and some are absolutely colossal Tesco Extra hypermarkets that average around 70,000 square feet and can include everything from an in-store pharmacy to opticians and key cutters.
The full range of Tesco stores includes:
- Tesco Extra
- Tesco Superstores
- Tesco Metros
- Tesco Express
- Tesco Petrol Filling Station
- Jack’s
- One Stop
- Dotcom CFC
That’s not to mention the fact that each store is in a different part of the country, with some being out in quiet rural areas and some in the heart of big cities.
With all of that in mind, it should come as no surprise that individual locations experience different challenges when it comes to shoplifting, so they will have different security measures in place.
They all operate within one company and the corporate side of the business will have established some general policies that most employees are expected to follow, but specific managers will adapt these to better suit the needs of their particular store.
What Is The General Tesco Shoplifting Policy?
While the specific ways that shoplifting is tackled will differ between stores, there are some general rules that most Tesco locations seem to follow.
Firstly, Tesco hires security staff to directly deal with shoplifting offenses and any other crimes that occur in their stores. Even small Tesco Express locations will often have full-time members of security on hand at all times to monitor the store and keep an eye on the customers.
The larger the store is, the more security staff will be present.
General employees and managers (who the company refers to as Tesco Colleagues and Shift Leaders) are almost always instructed not to try to stop an individual that they suspect may be shoplifting.
Instead, they will inform the security staff who will take action.
How Are Tesco Employees Trained To Handle Shoplifting?
Tesco offers extensive training to all of its employees, including security staff, on how to interact with customers and how to handle potential incidents of theft. For Colleagues, the training is mostly focussed on keeping the employee safe and free from danger.
They are trained on how to identify suspicious behaviour, the techniques shoplifters tend to use, and what they should do to try and reduce incidents of theft. This training generally tells Tesco staff to:
- Follow security department processes and procedures
- Keep the store tidy and organized
- Remain alert and vigilant
- Report suspicious behaviour to the manager of a member of the security team
- Offer friendly assistance to someone who is acting suspiciously, but only if they feel confident in doing so
- Never put themselves at risk
- Never approach someone to arrest them or accuse them of dishonest behavior
On top of this, staff are trained on when to contact law enforcement and how to use the panic buttons that are installed in most stores.
When activated, the panic button alarm will not make any kind of sound but it will alert the Security Operations Support team who will contact the police immediately.
That means that Tesco Colleagues are able to initiate the process of having a shoplifter arrested or apprehended without having to put themselves in danger or give any indication that something is wrong.
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Will Tesco Security Chase and Detain Shoplifters?
It is becoming increasingly common for shops around the country to operate a no-chase policy. This kind of policy basically tells employees that they should not try to confront, chase, or apprehend a shoplifter and instead allow them to leave if they try to and hand the case over to the police.
This way, they do not put their staff members at risk and they do not open the company up for potential lawsuits should something go wrong.
When it comes to Tesco security teams, though, they do not follow this kind of policy.
As with many other large supermarket chains in the UK, Tesco specifically hires security staff to handle criminal incidents who are trained on the safest way to deal with the suspect and who know their legal rights when detaining potential shoplifters.
If there is no security present at the store, then it is likely that the Tesco Colleagues working there will have been instructed to contact Security Operations Support or the police and not to intervene directly.
Can Security Staff Detain You In The UK?
One of the main reasons why the staff at some stores are not told to approach shoplifters is for fear of legal consequences. However, UK law actually does allow a member of the public who is not a police officer to arrest without a warrant:
- Anyone who is in the act of committing an indictable offense
- Anyone whom they have reasonable grounds for suspecting to be committing an indictable offense
That basically means that security staff is allowed to carry out a form of civilian arrest and hold a shoplifter until the police arrive. There are two conditions for when this kind of detainment is allowed:
- There should be reasonable ground to believe that the arrest is necessary to prevent the person from causing physical injury to themselves or others, suffering physical injury, causing loss of or damage to property, or leaving the scene before they are arrested by the police.
- It is not reasonably practical for a police officer to make the arrest themselves
Most shoplifting cases fall within these conditions, and security staff are well-trained to know what they are and are not allowed to do.
As part of this arrest, security staff can also use reasonable force but any force that is used could be considered assault if it is not found to be reasonable.
Whether or not force is reasonable is considered on a case-by-case basis and will be determined by many different factors.
What Happens If You Are Caught Shoplifting At Tesco?
So, now that we know more about what Tesco tell their staff and how they handle shoplifters, what might actually happen to you if you are caught shoplifting at one of their stores?
There are a few possible consequences, but the most likely are:
- You will be asked to return the items. You might be asked to simply return the items if Tesco employees believe that they were taken by mistake.
- You will be asked to discuss the incident with security. Security staff will often ask you to go to a private room and question you about the incident. This may also include them explaining the evidence that they have gathered from their surveillance equipment.
- You will be banned from Tesco. If you are actively confronted with shoplifting at Tesco, it is highly likely that you will be banned for life from all of their stores.
- You will be asked to wait for the police. If they believe that a theft has occurred and the incident is significant enough, they may be asked to wait for the police, which could result in an arrest.
- You will be directed to local food banks and debt advice services. Some stores have started to become more lenient on individuals who are caught shoplifting essential goods and will offer them advice on where they can find support instead of having them arrested.
Summary
So, what is the Tesco shoplifting policy? General employees are mostly told not to confront or try to apprehend shoplifters but instead leave this to security staff.
Tesco security will usually try to detain an individual that they believe to be committing a crime and may hold them until the police arrive.
The exact policy that is in place does vary at different locations but offenders will usually be detained and questioned.
They might be banned from all Tesco stores for life and the police may even be involved as well in more serious cases.