John MacDonald: Detaining young shoplifters is a dangerous idea - Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

The Government wants to free-up the laws relating to citizens' arrests. But should this include letting retail staff detain children and young people caught shoplifting?  

The Chief Children’s Commissioner, Dr Claire Achmad, is saying today that it shouldn’t. And I agree with her. But not for the same reason.   

She says allowing shop owners and shop staff to detain young people would contravene the right of children to be free from violence. 

She says that right applies to kids anywhere and everywhere - including in shops and retail outlets. Even when they’re nicking stuff.

Dr Achmad says shop staff have every right to ask for stolen stuff to be handed over. But it wouldn’t be fair on the young offenders if the people in the shops also had the right to detain them. And I agree with her. But not for the same reason.  

Overall, I’m 50/50 on this idea of citizens arrests.  

At the moment, there are limitations on when and where they can be done. But the Government wants to loosen those limitations. And isn’t ruling out loosening them to the point where shopkeepers could detain kids stealing stuff.

When I say I’m 50/50, I’m all for security guards getting stronger powers to detain people. Providing they get the right training. But as for the rest of us. Forget about it. As for shopkeepers arresting young people. Forget about it. Because it’s got danger written all over it.  

Danger from over-enthusiastic vigilantes going overboard. And danger for the people taking these young crims on. 

Which is why I don’t want to see people in shops being given the green light to arrest or detain kids and young people stealing their stuff.

That's where I differ from the Chief Children's Commissioner. She's opposed because of the kids' right to be protected from violence. I'm opposed because of the danger to retailers who, collectively, lose about $2.5 billion every year through retail crime. 

I detest shoplifting just as much as the next person. But if we give shop owners and shop workers the power to make citizens arrests of kids and young people caught stealing their stuff any time, any place - what do you think will happen?

It would mean unfair pressure being placed on, often young, retail workers to intervene and put themselves at risk.

I know some retailers would tell their staff either not to intervene or only do so if they felt confident enough to.

But there would also be some employers who would see a law change as a licence to require their staff to intervene. And, as we’ve seen countless times, just because someone is 11, 12 or 13, it doesn’t make them any less of a risk or less or a danger.

There are kids who carry weapons. There are kids who have no regard for other people and who are quite prepared to use these weapons. 

Do we really want shop staff being given the powers to take these kids on and to try and arrest them? Of course we don’t. 

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