ACS has welcomed a commitment from Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper MP to get tougher on the ‘epidemic’ of shoplifting gangs through the introduction of new laws for attacking a shopworker.
In her speech to the Labour Party Conference this morning, the Shadow Home Secretary highlighted the issues being faced by retailers and shopworkers across the UK with theft and abuse, and the challenges that they’re dealing with when it comes to getting meaningful intervention from the police.
A coalition of business groups and shopworkers union USDAW, representing tens of thousands of retailers and store colleagues, has written to police leaders in England and Wales setting out a three-point plan to turn the tide on shop theft.
ACS has launched a new Business Crime Pledge Tracker, detailing what every Police and Crime Commissioner in the UK is doing to tackle business crime in their area.
Over the past couple of months we’ve seen a discernible shift in the tone of debate about shop theft and retail crime. Our own crime report, and the Co-op’s research on crime in their business, has provided a powerful evidence base. We’re seeing better engagement from Police & Crime Commissioners and local forces, and crucially we’re now hearing Ministers talking about the seriousness of shop theft and the need for penalties to be consistent with this. There’s also been a lot more interest in the media.
The Joint Alcohol Anti-Fraud Taskforce has published their 2015 annual report, outlining the progress being made by the task force in tackling the illicit alcohol trade.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The work of the task force is essential in the fight against the illicit alcohol trade, which costs around £1.3bn a year in lost revenue every year. Retailers who sell illicit alcohol are damaging legitimate businesses. Our position on these retailers is clear – they should lose their alcohol licence.”
The Home Affairs select committee have criticised police use of out-of-court disposals, stating they are used inappropriately in up to 30% of cases.
In a report published today, the committee raised concerns that persistent and serious offences were being dealt with through out-of-court disposals when they ought to have been prosecuted at court. ACS research has shown that 1 in 4 shop thieves are repeat offenders, contributing to a £35m annual loss to the sector.
Convenience stores are fighting back against shop thieves by investing millions in crime prevention measures in their shops.
Over the last three years, the percentage of retailers who have been victims of shop theft has fallen from 91% in 2012 to 74% in 2014. The cost of shop theft to the convenience sector has also dropped significantly over the last year from £44m to £35m a year.
Convenience stores are fighting back against shop thieves by investing millions in crime prevention measures in their shops.
Over the last three years, the percentage of retailers who have been victims of shop theft has fallen from 91% in 2012 to 74% in 2014. The cost of shop theft to the convenience sector has also dropped significantly over the last year from £44m to £35m a year.
A report released today by the influential think tank Policy Exchange has suggested that shop theft has been 'decriminalised' because of a weak response from courts and police.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: "Shop theft is one of the biggest operational challenges retailers face and it's frustrating when we see repeat offenders getting away with fines. The only way to tackle shop theft effectively is by encouraging police and retailers to work closely together and prevent reoffending with tougher sanctions for repeat shop thieves."
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to the Sentencing Council’s consultation on robbery guidelines, calling for operation disruption in store to be included in the harm factors for sentencing.
The Sentencing Council are consulting on which factors should be considered when dealing out sentences for offenders, with a focus on understanding the impact on a business.
Statistics from the ACS Crime Report (2014) show that there were over 2,400 robberies in 2013 and over 7,000 incidents of violence resulting in injury.
