Shop theft on the rise

The federation also repeated calls for a targeted £6,500 grant scheme to improve security in smaller stores through CCTV and facial recognition

Katie Hannon on Tonight, Upfront gets a first-hand account from those who have experienced this first-hand

News

27 May 2025

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Recent figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have revealed that shop theft has risen by over 47% in the last decade.

Cork West and Dublin North-Central are the only areas where there has been a decrease in the number of illegal acts carried out.

Meath (138%), Galway (96%) and Sligo and Leitrim (111%) are among the areas with the highest increases.

First-hand account

Katie Hannon on Tonight, Upfront gets a first-hand account from those who have experienced this first-hand.

Himanshu Kumar, a retail worker, spoke on the events that took place last October when CCTV emerged of him being robbed in Dundrum.

Kumar was threatened with a large knife, one he described as “bigger than the knife we use in the deli.”

He believes the man left with “around €1,500” after flashing the knife and telling him to “open the till.”

Gleeson calls for change

Mike Gleeson, owner of five Spar stores in Limerick, said: “We have to bring out a system where people are sanctioned differently.”

He believes “the biggest problem is the system for penalising has broken down.”

The multistore owner believes that if someone steals €50, they should return it and be sanctioned with double compensation.

Gleeson believes the fine should be paid by the person’s parents or guardians if they are under the age of 18.

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