The 2020 Crime Report shows that 83% of people who work in the convenience sector have been subjected to verbal abuse over the last year and there were over 50,000 incidents of violence estimated in the sector, with 25% of incidents resulting in injury.
Figures reveal that crime against convenience retailers costs an estimated £211m to the sector, equivalent to £4,543 per store, or what amounts to a 7p crime tax per transaction.
In the last year, there have been over 1.1 million thefts, with over three quarters of incidents being committed by repeat offenders that are stealing to fund addiction and other criminal activity.
Convenience retailers invested £209 million in crime prevention equipment over the last year to protect their colleagues and customers.
As part of the 2020 Crime Report, ACS has set out five areas where the Government and justice system can take action to better support the convenience sector.
These actions are:
- Support local shops in investing in crime prevention equipment
- Conduct a proper review of the Out of Court Disposals (OOCD) system to better address the root causes of offending
- Tougher penalties for attacks on shopworkers
- Continued funding and support for the National Business Crime Centre
- Ensure that Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) recognise retail crime in their local plans
ACS has developed guidance for retailers which aims to support retailers in assessing and managing the crime threats that their businesses face. The guidance focuses on how to mitigate crimes including: robbery, violence and verbal abuse, staff theft, and how to report crime to the police.
