ACS is calling on all Police and Crime Commissioners to pledge to ensure that police forces take shop theft and abuse of staff seriously, and that they respond to incidents where they’re reported.
The pledges that PCCs are being asked to sign up to include:
- confronting reoffending, particularly prolific reoffenders with drug dependencies and organised criminal gangs
- working to standards on what a ‘good response’ to shop theft looks like, supporting retailer led crime prevention, developing and sharing best practice with retailers, and encouraging them to report shop theft in line with these standards
- always responding promptly to shop theft where violence is involved or where a suspect is detained
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Convenience stores have to deal with theft and abuse on a regular basis, with the people working in those stores often left without support from authorities. By signing up to our pledge, Police and Crime Commissioners will be taking a stand against shop theft, violence and abuse, and sending a clear message to the thousands of shops in their area that these crimes are serious, and that they are committed to working together to tackle them.”
Commenting on business crime and shop theft, Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “Business crime matters and it is not victimless. It is vital that a stronger partnership between businesses and the police is forged to tackle crime. I have been pleased to support local Business Crime Reduction Partnerships and introduce innovative schemes such as Business Wardens which have helped to deter and disrupt criminals targeting businesses in Sussex.”
Figures from the 2018 ACS Crime Report show that theft alone costs each convenience store in the UK an average of over £1,700 a year, with retailers fearing that incidents of theft are the main trigger for abuse of staff in stores. There were almost a million incidents of shop theft estimated in the convenience sector last year.
A recent report from the Centre for Social Justice also highlighted the wider social problems linked to shop theft, reporting that up to 70% of incidents are motivated by substance addiction.
A template letter for retailers concerned about the impact of theft and abuse on their business to send to their local PCC is available here: https://www.acs.org.uk/files/templatepccletterdocx
