Security Clearance UK: Caution for shoplifting

[HappyLeaks]

Hi,

 

I do not know where else to ask this question - if this is in the wrong place then please do let me know where to post this.

 

In January of this year

- I was shopping out with friends, and used the self service checkouts, as I only had a few items.

 

 

I had picked up several items, including one where the label has peeled off,

and had stuck to the bottom of the smaller item below it.

 

 

I scanned through all of the items, and was surprised that the bill came to less than what I was expecting:

I ignored it, and thought I was quids in, and could't do maths.

 

 

on the way out to my car; a security guard followed me, and asked me to accompany him back into the store.

Fine - he went through the items in my bag, and then found that I had not paid for three items

(one item had stuck to another one), and the other two I had 'deliberately' not scanned through.

Total value of the items roughly £11.

 

The police were called, and subsequently I was given a police caution. £80 fine and a caution. No court action. Case closed.

 

A few weeks later, I received a letter from RLP, and paid it.

I didn't want the hassle of dealing with them.

I've read stories here about what they do, and really just wanted it go away.

 

I have applied for a job with a IT company, where I am required to obtain Security Clearance.

I have a form here, which asks about Criminal convictions.

Am I obliged to put this incident on the form?

 

I want to put it on the form, for the simple reason of being honest and transparent. I'm not a liar.

However, what I am worried about is whether this altercation will affect me getting this job

(that has been one of the few jobs that i've really like the look of!).

 

 

I will be putting this on the form, however, is this likely to impact me getting SC Clearance now or in the future?

Does anyone have any experience of this??

 

Advice would be much appreciated.

 

Cheers,

[honeybee13]

Hello and welcome to CAG.

 

You're in the right forum for RLP, although you seem to have dealt with that part of the problem.

 

You may be moved to a different forum, in which case we'll leave you a link to follow to the new one. People should be along over the course of the day with advice for you.

 

My best, HB

[honeybee13]

Hello again.

 

I've moved your thread to the employment section at CAG, for advice on your question on security clearance.

 

If you hear from RLP again, I suggest you start another thread in the RLP forum. For now, let's try to sort out your employment issues.

 

HB

[ericsbrother]

the caution will remain on a CRB and that will be searchable but it is not a conviction so if you are asked about convictions you can honestly answer no. Paying RLP can never make that go away so you have just wasted money paying them for no reason.

[porrohman65]

Shopping out with friends, and used the self service checkouts, as I only had a few items.

 

 

I had picked up several items, including one where the label has peeled off, and had stuck to the bottom of the smaller item below it. I scanned through all of the items, and was surprised that the bill came to less than what I was expecting: I ignored it, and thought I was quids in, and could't do maths.

 

 

a security guard followed me

 

 

found that I had not paid for three items (one item had stuck to another one),

and the other two I had 'deliberately' not scanned through

 

The police were called, and subsequently I was given a police caution. £80 fine and a caution. No court action. Case closed.

 

is this likely to impact me getting SC Clearance now or in the future?

 

 

Hi Happyleaks

 

 

I'm a self scan operator, and would like to give my opinion.

 

 

Firstly I don't think you should have been charged with theft, as it is my job or the Self Scan operator to correct any problems

 

 

So the main problem I see is,

 

 

the label has peeled off, and had stuck to the bottom of the smaller item below it

So here you have the label has peeled of an stuck to the bottom of the smaller item, so if I'm correct, two items have stuck together, and should have been scanned separately

 

 

Now this is where I come in, this should have caused a bagging alert, and the operator should check what caused the problem and fix it; if the operator doesn't look and check, but just clears the bagging alert, then I would say there at fault for this

 

 

To explain how the self scan works, a mars bar ways 50 grams, and when you scan the mars bar, and place it into the bagging area, its looking for the weight; so if you put 2 mars bars down but only scan 1, that will cause a bagging alert

 

 

Now as for the caution, if you honestly though you have scanned everything, I would seek legal advice, on whether the shop were with in there rights, and should you have been cautioned; to me it looks like a genuine mistake, and things like this do happen, if its not been deliberate shop lifting , challenge it

 

 

I would go as far as asking to see the cctv, and see what exactly the operator did

[Sidewinder]

Hi Happyleaks

 

I'm a self scan operator, and would like to give my opinion.

 

Firstly I don't think you should have been charged with theft, as it is my job or the Self Scan operator to correct any problems

 

So the main problem I see is,

 

the label has peeled off, and had stuck to the bottom of the smaller item below it

So here you have the label has peeled of an stuck to the bottom of the smaller item, so if I'm correct, two items have stuck together, and should have been scanned separately

 

Now this is where I come in, this should have caused a bagging alert, and the operator should check what caused the problem and fix it; if the operator doesn't look and check, but just clears the bagging alert, then I would say there at fault for this

 

To explain how the self scan works, a mars bar ways 50 grams, and when you scan the mars bar, and place it into the bagging area, its looking for the weight; so if you put 2 mars bars down but only scan 1, that will cause a bagging alert

 

Now as for the caution, if you honestly though you have scanned everything, I would seek legal advice, on whether the shop were with in there rights, and should you have been cautioned; to me it looks like a genuine mistake, and things like this do happen, if its not been deliberate shop lifting , challenge it

 

I would go as far as asking to see the cctv, and see what exactly the operator did

 

I completely agree that this should never have got near police involvement,

however with most earlier versions of the SS software a reduced label when scanned will remove the weighscale measure.

 

 

There was a [problem] going around for some time whereby people would scan a reduced item, say a loaf at 10p, but would bag a much heavier but non-reduced item along with the loaf

- in that case there is no 'Unexpected Item' prompt so the SS Supervisor would be unaware of a problem.

 

 

May have been fixed now but it was always a black hole created by the fact that a reduction may be on items which for one reason or another were not their normal weight.

[Old Cogger]

infringement of security by you - then looking for a security job? at some stage you will be found out especially if you work in the area you shop lifted! look else where

[silverfox1961]

infringement of security by you - then looking for a security job? at some stage you will be found out especially if you work in the area you shop lifted! look else where

 

I find that post rather disingenuous as we have to believe what we are being told. We have no other way of knowing what has happened the way it was described or not.

 

On that basis, I would have done things differently than what the OP did. Pay up! He did so to make it all go away rather than challenge it. This is not an admission of guilt.

 

I'm sure if the same thing happened to you, you would be complaining or would you accept what you did was unlawful?

[Old Cogger]

Look fact seen this type situation decades ago with security staff who were ex (CID) etc and believe you me they get to know all the security staff in the area, also even in those days incidents passed within the local shop community i.e. only the security officers, hence I stated if worried they might find out

look elsewhere ie. possibly another Town/city, of course if not worries then best of luck!

[donarebun]

infringement of security by you - then looking for a security job? at some stage you will be found out especially if you work in the area you shop lifted! look else where

 

 

When I read the post by the OP I initially thought he was guilty but I refrained from commenting as this is a civil society where it is "innocent until proven guilty".

 

Then the Self Scan operator (who is independent) gave a beautiful breakdown of events around the self service area and I then saw that I had judged too quickly.

 

I have worked as a security guard so I tend to be highly suspicious of such incidents but most importantly I live in a civil and just society where it is wrong to judge without hearing all the evidence.

 

I wish we all behave that way.

 

The Op is innocent until proven guilty and he is free to look for a job anywhere he desires.

 

Thank you