ACS has reaffirmed its commitment to keeping retailers and colleagues safe in local shops with the renewal of its partnership with crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers.
Crimestoppers and ACS have been in partnership since 2010, and have worked to raise awareness of violence against local shops, while also offering rewards of up to £50,000 per incident for serious crimes that have been committed in shops within local communities.
ACS’s 2019 Crime Report shows that 83% of staff in convenience stores have experienced some form of verbal abuse, with almost 10,000 incidents of violence reported in the sector over the last year.
Crime against convenience retailers costs an estimated £246m, equating to a 7p crime tax on every transaction.
The partnership between ACS and Crimestoppers provides the option of a reward for information leading to the conviction of an offender when a serious incident occurs. Both organisations are determined to work together and prevent further incidents and cost to the industry with the aim of helping to make staff and customers feel safer in their local shops.
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: “When the most serious incidents occur, it’s important that the industry stands together, which is why we’re continuing our important work with Crimestoppers to provide support to police forces and raise awareness of crimes against retailers. We hope that we will not need to offer any rewards in the coming year, but we remain committed to doing so if necessary.”
Mick Duthie, Crimestoppers charity Director of Operations, said: “We have worked in partnership with ACS for almost ten years, which highlights how important shop safety is to both organisations. Convenience stores are vital to local communities and there are some who unfortunately abuse this.
“At Crimestoppers we know some people feel uncomfortable speaking directly to the authorities about crime information, which is why our charity is here to help. You can always tell us what you know in the knowledge that you will stay 100% anonymous. We have kept this promise since our independent charity started over 31 years ago.”
Anyone with any information on incidents of crime can contact the Charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through their anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org
