A former police officer whose outdoor shop was targeted by shoplifters last weekend has condemned the obstacles he says are hampering people’s attempts to report crime in Keswick.
Stephen Reid, who owns Needle Sports in Main Street, is angry that once the theft of a high value jacket from his store had been discovered recently, his shop manager’s calls to the police’s 101 number were not answered despite two attempts, including a 25-minute wait on hold.
Fortunately, CCTV footage from the shop showed a man stuffing a windproof top down his trousers before walking out.
The eagle-eyed shop manager went into the Market Square and found the suspect standing outside Joules holding a bag full of items.
The man admitted the theft and handed over the top.
The manager then returned to Needle Sports and tried ringing 101 again in a bid to alert the police but was forced to give up after waiting unanswered.
Mr Reid, who was a policeman in Kendal before starting Needle Sports in 1990, said: “Back then, if one suspected a shoplifter, you rang your local nick, your call was answered promptly and the town was flooded with officers on the hunt.
“If the suspect was caught, they were always arrested and CID would interview them but not before a search had been done of their house or flat to see what other contraband they had stashed away.”
Mr Reid said trying to get hold of a police officer today is akin to trying to ring a giant utility company.
He added that police officers were hardly ever seen in Keswick and that a police station was now a pub (Wetherspoon), with anyone arrested having to be transported to Workington.
“If the police are going to insist on this central system, they need 10 times as many people manning it because it’s simply not working.
“The young thief and his girlfriend got off and quite possibly with a bag full of stuff stolen from other Keswick shops to go home to their residence containing goodness knows what else in illicit goods, all because the police don’t have enough personnel answering the phones, enough officers walking the streets and police stations in busy areas where the public can access them.”
“The present system seems to have been designed by accountants, not police officers. It doesn’t work and it is high time it was changed for something that does.”
A police spokesman said: “In an emergency, where a crime is in progress or where life and property are at risk, people should call 999, where our average call waiting time is seconds.
“We have dedicated officers deployed from our base at Keswick Fire Station and a dedicated PCSO for the town, whose job includes patrols and engaging with the business community.”
