ACS

Retailers and suppliers from across the country attended the ACS Crime Prevention Forum at Manchester’s Midland Hotel on Tuesday, where they discussed several key sector issues.

One of the hottest topics of the day was the issue of fixed penalty notices. After criticism from the retailers in attendance as to the effectiveness of FPNs, Detective Inspector Michael Montford conceded that there have indeed been some cases of fixed penalty notices being issued several times without being recorded on the police system, but was endeavoring to ensure that it didn’t continue to occur.

Two retailers shared their experiences of crime at the forum. Steve Morris from Dorrington Village Stores told those in attendance of the harrowing ordeal he suffered at the hands of armed robbers, who to this day have never been caught.

Norman Short also told of his experiences, ranging from axe and knife attacks to a more light-hearted, but nonetheless damaging story of a persistent cheese thief.

Other speakers on the day included Kevin Eastwood from the British Oil Security Syndicate, who discussed the forecourt watch scheme; Rob Dyson from CityCo, presenting an overview of the joined up approach to tackling crime in Manchester City Centre and ACS Public Affairs Assistant Edward Woodall, who updated members on how ACS is working with government to tackle retail crime effectively.

Speaker presentations from the event will soon be available to download from the ACS website for ACS members.