Let’s share our photos of thieves, says Iceland’s boss
Iceland’s boss has called for laws allowing his supermarkets to share images of violent shoplifters in local WhatsApp groups.
Richard Walker, who oversees around 1,000 stores in the UK, is among those sounding the alarm about the worrying epidemic of retail crime in Britain.
The chain’s CEO criticised the ‘stupid’ data protection legislation, which means stores are not allowed to share CCTV footage of thefts.
The Labour union has pledged to take tougher action against shoplifting and assaults on shop workers, but businesses are still awaiting further details.
“We’re fighting with one hand tied behind our backs,” Walker told former Congresswoman Gloria de Piero on her podcast Lessons In Leadership.
A sign of the times: Iceland CEO Richard Walker is among those sounding the alarm about a worrying epidemic of retail crime in Britain
He said: ‘It’s actually illegal for us to share images of known offenders on local High Street WhatsApp groups because of data protection laws. I’d like to see that changed.’
Walker said he was prepared to take the “blame” if employees got into trouble for sharing images.
He added: ‘When that footage is on your CCTV it is absolutely proven. You see someone pick something up, put it under their coat or do whatever, and walk away or become aggressive towards that shop staff when they are stopped.’
He said he wanted to share such photos with other businesses and groups on the high street.
“I have told my colleagues to do it anyway, and I will take responsibility if there is a problem,” he added.
According to him, knives and hammers are often used in violent attacks on staff, which happens on a weekly basis.
Walker, 44, wants police to take shoplifting more seriously after shopkeepers complained that officers don’t come to the scene when shoplifting is reported.
Data watchdog Information Commissioner’s Office advises that images that could be used to prevent crime should only be shared if ‘necessary and proportionate’. But sharing images of suspected shoplifters on social media or physical photos in shop windows was unlikely to be considered proportionate, the agency said.
Since the pandemic, shoplifting has risen to alarming levels, while the cost of living crisis is also a contributing factor.
The number of shoplifting incidents recorded by police has risen by 37 per cent to a total of 430,104 in 2023, the highest number since the Office for National Statistics began recording them in 2002.
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