Freshfields Market in Croydon has been hit by another serious crime incident within a span of six months with staff now allegedly assaulted.
The latest incident happened on Tuesday (Sept 15), where staff at Freshfields Market in south Croydon were allegedly assaulted with a weapon while confronting a man suspected of shoplifting.
In the footage, also seen by Asian Trader, the offender can be seen picking items from the shelves and shoving them in a baby stroller.
On being confronted by the staff and asked to pay, the offender became violent. He was pushed out of the store, after which the person can be seen hitting the staff with a stick like item on the street in front of the store.
Store owner Benedict Selvaratnam shared with Asian Trader, "This particular person had been involved in around two or three shoplifting incidents at the store previously, although not all had been reported to police.
"One has been reported. A standard crime reference was given, but nothing further action was taken. Then an email said the case was closed.”
The latest incident has also now been given a crime reference number, with Selvaratnam saying police had made contact with the business after a customer reported the incident.
“They did email after one of our customers reported it. They contacted us immediately and through an email and said they're sorry to hear about the incident and they want to hear from us,” he said.
"I responded back promptly. And I believe they'll call me at some point soon."
Exclusive: Leading retailer left 'disheartened' as staff assaulted by prolific offender Benedict Selvaratnam
The incident comes just six months after the same store in south Croydon was targeted in a separate break-in and was burgled in March.
Two masked men forced their way into the store, breaking its shutters and glass before taking the entire stock of cigarettes and vapes. The burglary also caused significant damage to the premises.
Selvaratnam subsequently criticised the police response at the time, telling Asian Trader that officers visited around 10 days after the break-in and that he later received correspondence saying the case had been filed due to “evidential difficulties and the ability to identify a suspect”.
Selvaratnam state that such repeat incidents are frustrating for retailers.
“It is very disheartening to see the rate of the crime as well as the police response in these cases,” he said.
In light of the frequency of such incidents, Selvaratnam, who is also the co-founder of Croydon Business Council, is in favour of introducing more concrete measures to deter the offenders and protect the businesses.
It was reported earlier that Croydon Council is set to trial electronic tagging for prolific shoplifters later this year, in a move that could make it the first London borough to use GPS tags to monitor repeat offenders.
“I totally support the introduction of electronic tags on shoplifters,” he said. "With such a thing in place, other businesses can be aware of the offenders."
Retailers understand the pressures facing the criminal justice system, he said, but argued that this should not mean there are no other ways to tackle repeat offending.
Under the proposed scheme, prolific shoplifters could be fitted with lightweight GPS ankle tags, allowing police to monitor whether they enter shopping areas from which they have been banned by the courts.
Selvaratnam is also banking upon the technology such as AI-enabled theft detection system to combat offenders.
“It does not work on people with drug issues and substance issues as they don't give a damn,” he said. "However, they do impact professional offenders and organised gangs.
“If a shop becomes known for using tech to detect shoplifting, the profssional gangs usually avoid that store,” he said.
The latest incident has reinforced the need for measures that can give retailers greater protection from repeat offenders, particularly where shoplifting escalates into aggression or violence against staff.