A TEENAGER has been charged in connection with thefts from a supermarket just days after calls were made for the store to employ a security guard.
Cops were called to Sainsbury’s in Muirend at around 7.40pm on Monday evening following a report of shoplifting.
Police confirmed following enquiries a 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in connection with five incidents of thefts from the supermarket.
An investigation remains ongoing.
It comes after we previously reported customers at the Clarkston Road store have been left “intimidated and afraid”.
Last week cllrs John Carson and Cate Vallis, who represent the Linn ward, wrote to Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts asking for a security guard to be introduced into the Muirend store due to repeated shoplifting.
Sharing the letter on X, cllr Carson said he and cllr Vallis “have been greatly concerned by the reports of continued shoplifting incidents at [Sainsbury’s] in Muirend, Glasgow, which is putting customers and staff at risk” and said a security guard would “restore confidence in the local community” that safety concerns are being taken seriously by Sainsbury’s.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Following police enquiries, a 16-year-old male youth has been arrested and charged in connection with five incidents of theft from a supermarket on Clarkston Road, Glasgow.
“A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
“Enquiries are continuing.”
Cllr Caron and cllr Vallis previously said they had spoken with Police Scotland on behalf of the community and local officers have “committed to keeping aware of the issue, maintaining contact with the store and regularly patrolling where possible”.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson previously told the Glasgow Times: “Customer and colleague safety is our highest priority.
“We are supporting our Sainsbury’s Muirend store and working with the police.”
It comes after we previously reported as part of our The Cost of Crime series that recorded retail crime rose by 37% from 2022/23 to 2023/24 in Glasgow, with police noting a similar percentage increase for 2024/25 so far.
Meanwhile, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) 2023 survey of its members found around one third of retail workers are considering leaving the sector or know someone who has because of abuse and violence.
Source – Yahoo
