Debra
16-03-2010, 16:08
Hi,
I would like to make you aware of the service that the organisation in which I am employed can offer retailers.
Civil Investigations Agency Ltd.
The British Retail Consortium recently published a report claiming that the retail industry has lost £1.4bn. in a twelve month period due mainly to customer theft.
The report calls for tougher sentences for offenders.
Civil Investigations Agency has introduced a new service which we believe will combat retail theft and over a period of time significantly reduce the reported losses.
Firstly, anyone working within the retail industry will know that the majoirity of thefts are comitted by persistant offenders and certainly in the larger towns and cities their business is to fund a drug habit.
Many retailers issue detained shoplifters with banning/exclusion orders in the hope that they do not return but the truth is, persistant offenders do return because they know only too well the banning order means nothing and would never secure a conviction for burglary.
If a person steals that is theft, if a person steals as a tresspasser that is burglary but, the law states that in order for an ofender to be convicted of Burglary he must know at the time of entering that he was infact a tresspasser and it is this point that causes retailers, the police and the crown prosecution service a problem because most prolific offenders will lie to the courts as, they know only too well that the difference between theft and burglary is the difference between a community order and 26 weeks in prison which, happens to be the offical sentencing guildlines council recommendation.
There is only one way in which an exclusion order can be served on an offender in order to be taken seriously and that is thorugh an organisation such as Civil Investigations Agency.
What we do is, on instruction from retailers a notice is served on offenders then, through the commissioner of oaths our investigators swear an affidavit. This is then produced in court if an offender is arrested again or if the retailer decides to take the matter to a civil court. A sworn affidavit is the only document admisible in all U.K courts and is taken as undisputable.
It is for this reason why solicitors use organisations such as ours to serve documents on individuals or businesses.
Statments made by security guards are the same used by the Police know as a Section 9 statement and these are only valid as a statement of truth in a magistrates court. An offender charged with burglary only needs to request a crown court trial and then it becomes word against word and they will get off because its difficult to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the offender knew he was a tresspasser. This is why CPS are reluctant to charge a shoplifter with burglary.
Most retailers have regular offenders enter their premises and its an easy task to get rid off them for good.
Have the offender served a banning notice they then become a tresspasser, the law states, any person that tresspasses and steals, causes damage or inflicts an assault is guilty of burglary.
The time has come for retailers to protect themselves and there employee's.
All offenders that Civil Investigations Agency serve are entered onto our national database so, if for instance multi site retailers have a store in Bristol where an offender is served a notice banning them from all of the companies strores then, a short time later caught in their manchester store that is still burglary and they should be charged.
There is no other service like this in the U.K and its the only legal way of reducing your losses. you will not have to catch a person stealing twice before they are sent to prison.
If you would like any further information please visit our web page where contact details are displayed. www.cia-investigations.co.uk
Thank you for reading
Debra.
I would like to make you aware of the service that the organisation in which I am employed can offer retailers.
Civil Investigations Agency Ltd.
The British Retail Consortium recently published a report claiming that the retail industry has lost £1.4bn. in a twelve month period due mainly to customer theft.
The report calls for tougher sentences for offenders.
Civil Investigations Agency has introduced a new service which we believe will combat retail theft and over a period of time significantly reduce the reported losses.
Firstly, anyone working within the retail industry will know that the majoirity of thefts are comitted by persistant offenders and certainly in the larger towns and cities their business is to fund a drug habit.
Many retailers issue detained shoplifters with banning/exclusion orders in the hope that they do not return but the truth is, persistant offenders do return because they know only too well the banning order means nothing and would never secure a conviction for burglary.
If a person steals that is theft, if a person steals as a tresspasser that is burglary but, the law states that in order for an ofender to be convicted of Burglary he must know at the time of entering that he was infact a tresspasser and it is this point that causes retailers, the police and the crown prosecution service a problem because most prolific offenders will lie to the courts as, they know only too well that the difference between theft and burglary is the difference between a community order and 26 weeks in prison which, happens to be the offical sentencing guildlines council recommendation.
There is only one way in which an exclusion order can be served on an offender in order to be taken seriously and that is thorugh an organisation such as Civil Investigations Agency.
What we do is, on instruction from retailers a notice is served on offenders then, through the commissioner of oaths our investigators swear an affidavit. This is then produced in court if an offender is arrested again or if the retailer decides to take the matter to a civil court. A sworn affidavit is the only document admisible in all U.K courts and is taken as undisputable.
It is for this reason why solicitors use organisations such as ours to serve documents on individuals or businesses.
Statments made by security guards are the same used by the Police know as a Section 9 statement and these are only valid as a statement of truth in a magistrates court. An offender charged with burglary only needs to request a crown court trial and then it becomes word against word and they will get off because its difficult to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the offender knew he was a tresspasser. This is why CPS are reluctant to charge a shoplifter with burglary.
Most retailers have regular offenders enter their premises and its an easy task to get rid off them for good.
Have the offender served a banning notice they then become a tresspasser, the law states, any person that tresspasses and steals, causes damage or inflicts an assault is guilty of burglary.
The time has come for retailers to protect themselves and there employee's.
All offenders that Civil Investigations Agency serve are entered onto our national database so, if for instance multi site retailers have a store in Bristol where an offender is served a notice banning them from all of the companies strores then, a short time later caught in their manchester store that is still burglary and they should be charged.
There is no other service like this in the U.K and its the only legal way of reducing your losses. you will not have to catch a person stealing twice before they are sent to prison.
If you would like any further information please visit our web page where contact details are displayed. www.cia-investigations.co.uk
Thank you for reading
Debra.