Abstract
This chapter examines shoplifting at rail station shops over a twelve month period in England and Wales. Key findings were: shoplifting is concentrated at particular stations; the top 20 stations account for 85 percent of shoplifting. Clear temporal patterns were evident; shoplifting was higher on weekdays and during holidays with higher levels of travel; shoplifting is lower when there is a reduced rail service. There was no clear relationship between shoplifting rates outside of a station at shops nearby, and shoplifting within a rail station. It is suggested a correlation may occur for medium and smaller size stations. Large stations may attract offenders in their own right without other shops being nearby. The similarities observed between shoplifting patterns at rail stations and those at non-rail station shops suggest the learning from successful crime prevention measures applied outside of the rail environment could successfully be transferred to rail stations.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ashby, M., Bowers, K., Borrion, H., & Fujiyama, T. (2017). The When and Where of an Emerging Crime Type: The Example of Metal Theft from the Railway Network of Great Britain. Security Journal, 30(1), 1–23.
Bamfield, J. (2004). Shrinkage, Shoplifting and the Cost of Retail Crime in Europe: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Major Retailers in 16 European Countries. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 32(5), 235–241.
Carmel-Gilfilen, C. (2011). Advancing Retail Security Design: Uncovering Shoplifter Perceptions of the Physical Environment. Journal of Interior Design, 36, 21–38.
Ceccato, V. (2013). Moving Safely: Crime and Perceived Safety in Stockholm’s Subway Stations. Lanham, MD: Lexington books.
Ceccato, V., & Newton, A. (2015). Safety and Security in Transit Environments: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Crime Prevention and Security Management. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Ceccato, V., Uittenbogaard, A., & Bamzar, R. (2013). Security in Stockholm’s Underground Stations: The Importance of Environmental Attributes and Context. Security Journal, 26(1), 33–59.
Clarke, R. (2012). Shoplifting: Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Problem-Specific Guides Series No. 11 (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
Farrington, D., & Burrows, J. (1993). Did Shoplifting Really Decrease? British Journal of Criminology, 33(1), 57–69.
Gentry, K. (2015). Apple Picking: The Rise of Electronic Device Thefts in Boston Subways. In V. Ceccato & A. Newton (Eds.), Safety and Security in Transit Environments: An Interdisciplinary Approach (pp. 39–55). Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Guy, C. (1998). Classifications of Retail Stores and Shopping Centres: Some Methodological Issues. GeoJournal, 45(255), 255–264.
Hayes, R. (1999). Shop Theft: An Analysis of Shoplifter Perceptions and Situational Factors. Security Journal, 12(2), 7–18.
Kajalo, S., & Lindblom, A. (2015). Creating a Safe and Pleasant Shopping Environment: A Retailer’s View. Property Management, 33(3), 275–286.
Katz, J. (1988). Seductions of Crime. New York: Basic Books.
Marteache, N., & Bichler, G. (2016). Crime Prevention and Transportation Systems. In J. Winterdyk & B. Raton (Eds.), Crime Prevention: International Perspectives, Issues, and Trends (pp. 65–90). Florida: CRC Press.
Nelson, A. (1996). The Geography of Shoplifting in a British City: Evidence from Cardiff. Geoforum, 27(3), 409–423.
Newton, A. (2014). Crime on Public Transport. In G. Bruinsma & D. Weisburd (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice (pp. 709–720). New York, NY: Springer.
Newton, A. (2016). Crime, Transport and Technology. In M. McGuire & T. Holt (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Technology, Crime and Justice (pp. 281–294). London: Routledge.
Newton, A., Partridge, H., & Gill, A. (2014a). Above and Below: Measuring Crime Risk in and Around Underground Mass Transit Systems. Crime Science, 3(1), 1–14.
Newton, A., Partridge, H., & Gill, A. (2014b). In and Around: Identifying Predictors of Theft Within and Near to Major Mass Underground Transit Systems. Security Journal, 27(2), 132–146.
Robinson, J., & Goridano, L. (2011). Spatial Interplay: Interaction of Land Uses in Relation to Crime Incidents around Transit Stations. In M. Andresen & B. Kinney (Eds.), Patterns, Prevention, and Geometry of Crime (pp. 175–199). London: Routledge.
Salmi, V., Kivivuori, J., & Lehti, M. (2015). Public Disorder and Business Crime Victimization in the Retail Sector. Security Journal, 28(4), 410–424.
Sidebottom, A., & Johnson, S. D. (2014). Bicycle Theft. In G. Bruinsma & D. Weisburd (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice (pp. 162–170). New York, NY: Springer.
Smith, B. (2013). Differential Shoplifting Risks of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods: A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School, Newark Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Unpublished PhD Thesis.
Tonglet, M. (2002). Consumer Misbehaviour: An Exploratory Study of Shoplifting. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 1(4), 336–354.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Newton, A. (2018). Crime at the Intersection of Rail and Retail. In: Ceccato, V., Armitage, R. (eds) Retail Crime. Crime Prevention and Security Management. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73065-3_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73065-3_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-73064-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-73065-3
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)