A supermarket owner in Birmingham has taken to naming and shaming alleged shoplifters on social media after claiming police failed to act. Danny Khan, 34, runs Mr Khan’s Authentic Jamaican Food Store in Winson Green with his father and has seen a surge in thefts.
Khan began posting CCTV footage of suspected thieves on TikTok and Instagram a year ago, publicly shaming around 20 individuals. The videos have been viewed millions of times and he says the tactic has been an “effective deterrent”, with some offenders returning to apologise and pay for stolen goods.
“We just became so fed-up of the amount of shoplifting going on and police failing to act that we thought we'd turn to social media,” Khan said. “If we catch you stealing we'll put you on TikTok and Instagram… The result has been a drop in incidents because people know if they rob from here they are going straight on social media.”
Khan has installed more than 40 CCTV cameras in his shop. He said thefts “skyrocketed” after the pandemic, with a 100% increase in food theft in the West Midlands during the cost-of-living crisis. He added that police describe the crimes as “petty”, but he disagrees given the scale.
West Midlands Police said they understand the impact of shoplifting and are committed to reducing thefts through patrols and identifying offenders. Khan, however, plans to continue his social media campaign and is talking to other businesses about creating a shared page for the area.
