The Home Office have published the latest figures from its 2017 Commercial Victimisation Survey, reporting that the number of assaults and threats committed against the wholesale and retail sector has risen significantly over the last year, from 524 incidents per 1,000 premises to 1,433 incidents per 1,000 premises.
The CVS also reports that wholesale and retail premises experienced around 8.1 million crimes over the last year, rising from 5.2m in 2016. Almost two thirds of these incidents (61%) are attributed to theft by customers.
Figures from the ACS Crime Report 2018 show that over the last year, there have been over 950,000 incidents of shop theft committed against the convenience sector alone. Shop theft costs each convenience store in the sector over £1,700 a year on average. The ACS Crime Report also shows that the number one concern for convenience retailers is violence against staff, with over 13,000 incidents estimated in the sector over the last year.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The massive increase in assaults and threats reported in the Commercial Victimisation Survey is concerning but unfortunately not surprising. Retailers face the threat of verbal and physical abuse on a regular basis, often as a result of enforcing the law through preventing underage sales and challenging shop thieves.
“These are attacks on people doing their jobs providing a vital service in the local community, and these offences must be taken seriously police forces, Police and Crime Commissioners, the justice system and central government. We encourage retailers to ensure that they continue to report incidents when they occur.”
Other findings from the Commercial Victimisation Survey include:
- Only 50% of the businesses polled said that all incidents of shop theft were reported to police
- The most common crime prevention measures installed in premises were the protection of windows and doors, protection of stock, and burglar alarms
- 14% of retailers said they were either less likely or much less likely to report shop theft incidents to police than in the previous year
ACS has produced a short animation video for retailers and their staff, which details ways in which stores can manage and anticipate incidents of violence and abuse. The video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYZ3d9Xal2Q
The full Commercial Victimisation Survey is available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/704366/crime-against-businesses-2017-hosb0718.pdf
