Protecting your practice from shoplifting

Shoplifting is a scourge and according to recent reports it is at epidemic levels. With countless stories in the media detailing how theft is sometimes opportunist, sometimes to order, but always at the expense of the retailer, the subject is a hot topic. Of course, there are cases that have affected the optical profession.

Back in March 2023, ITV reported on Thomas Howden who was arrested after leaving DNA when he cut himself when breaking into a practice in Peterborough; he stole a backpack-full of glasses. In September 2023, two members of the public chased shoplifter Romanian Muscalu Valentine who stole from Tom Davies in London’s Royal Exchange.