Mr. Vincent Jennings:

I thank the Chair, the Deputies and the Senators. We welcome the opportunity afforded to us to present on this important topic, mindful that it is not only retailers who are affected by shoplifting and that our employees and customers are also victims of these practices. Shoplifting is not a victimless crime. It can play a large part in reducing choice for communities and it can have long-term debilitating effects on the physical and mental well-being of owners, managers and retail staff. To use the words a superintendent used at a recent briefing attended by myself and others present this morning, shoplifting has reached pandemic levels. In some ways, it was gratifying to hear this acceptance of the level of problem we are experiencing across the retail sector. The invitation from this committee further demonstrates that there is a growing problem that needs urgent attention.

The most worrying aspects of shoplifting today are the accompanying threats, actual violence, obscenities, misogyny and vile racist abuse levelled at owners and staff. There is no doubt but that these abuses are increasing year on year and that they have most certainly become more pronounced after the Covid pandemic. It is impossible to conceive of a more worrying aspect of running a retail business for the majority of our 1,500 members than having to console someone who has been assaulted and abused just for doing his or her job. It may not be considered parliamentary language in these Houses but I cannot think of a more appropriate term for these people than "thugs".

The committee will most likely seek to learn from the various representatives whether we consider there to be a need for additional powers for An Garda Síochána or whether the Department of Justice should consider extra legislation to alleviate the terrors that we and our staff currently experience. The short answer is "No". We do not need more laws but we do need better service from our gardaí and those charged with the responsibility of managing young offenders. We also need our Courts Service and, in particular, our judicial system to pay attention to the trauma occasioned against the victims of these crimes and to seek to ensure that restitution is not only awarded, but enforced.

A number of shopkeepers are aware that those involved in shoplifting progress to other so-called more serious crimes and have commenced a policy of demanding that all reports of shoplifting carried out by juveniles be the subject of a mandatory referral by the investigating garda to the Child and Family Agency, Tusla. The CSNA suggests that the committee recommend that each and every theft and act of abusive behaviour carried out by youths be the subject of a Tusla referral. We also ask the committee to recommend the setting up, possibly on a pilot basis, of a clearing house or sorting office, possibly run by the local chamber of commerce, to help retailers report crime and share evidence with An Garda Síochána, ensuring consistency in reports and supporting evidence such as CCTV.

It will come as no surprise to members of the committee to learn that Garda intelligence has pinpointed that the majority of offences are carried out by a relatively small number of criminals stealing on a regular basis. It is of great concern to our association that attempts by Dublin City Council, the Retail Grocery Dairy and Allied Traders Association, RGDATA, and the CSNA to replicate the very successful approach taken by Belfast retailers and the PSNI were consistently shot down by An Garda Síochána, even when representatives from the Department of Justice saw merit in operating a similar scheme in the Republic. GDPR and different protections afforded to criminals leave a very bitter taste in our mouths. Balance needs to be restored. We are on the front line. There is only one reason that antisocial behaviour orders, ASBOs, are not commonplace throughout Ireland as an added deterrent and that is the unwillingness of An Garda Síochána to manage and oversee them. The CSNA would ask the committee to seek explanations from the Garda as to the reasons that these orders, used extensively in other jurisdictions, have not found favour here.

Our final suggestion to the committee is to accept that our staff are providing an essential service and are fully deserving of protection. A recent change was made to the sentencing available to judges where the victim was a Garda or first responder. The CSNA suggests that our vital and essential employees deserve similar accelerated protections. It should not be necessary to have to debunk suggestions - some of which have surprisingly been made by Members of the Oireachtas, although not, I wish to stress, by anyone here this morning - that the rise in shoplifting is directly related to the increase in the cost of living.

This is not true. It is not basic foodstuffs that are most frequently stolen. Shoplifting by gangs is not carried out by Robin Hood and his merry men. Individuals secreting alcohol on their person or persons literally emptying whole display sections of expensive personal hygiene products or washing machine refills are not robbing to feed a starving family. Anyone suggesting that retailers get what they deserve due to their position in society is guilty of perpetrating a falsehood.

Finally, it is a great concern to our members to note a deterioration in service from the Garda in recent years. We are frequently provided with “lack of resources and personnel" as an explanation for slow and, in some cases, no responses to calls for assistance. One of the most annoying comments made by members of the force is, “Why don’t you get your own security?”, or the more recent and certainly offensive comments have been, “Take it up with your politicians" or "Take it up with Drew Harris."

I am accompanied by CSNA member, Mr. Michael O'Driscoll. He owns a Spar convenience store on Talbot Street in Dublin and his store is less than 100 yd from Store Street Garda station. His business is affected each day by the activities of anti-social thugs. Michael is willing to provide the committee with an account of his frustrating interactions with those who are supposed to protect him, his staff and his customers.

I thank members for their attention. We are willing to expand on these matters as they consider this most important topic.