Shopkeepers demand right to fine thieves

26 March 2004

BRUSSELS – Belgium’s storeowners want the right to give on the spot fines to customers they catch shoplifting.

At present shopkeepers must call the police if they see someone stealing goods in their stores. In practice this means many shoplifters go unpunished as they flee before the police arrive.

Belgium’s federation of distribution enterprises (Fedis) wants to tackle this problem by giving shopkeepers the right to impose on the spot fines of around EUR 25 on thieves they catch red-handed.

Fedis says such a system is already in place in the Netherlands, where it has helped to reduce considerably money lost through shoplifting.

Subject: Belgian news