Staff theft has gone up in small retail stores according to an Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) survey – by 88 per cent in 2012. ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “The significant spike in staff theft is particularly shocking. The reality of theft from criminals who seek out and then a position of trust is particularly hard for retailers to stomach. We urge police and the criminal justice system to provide the necessary support to retailers in gathering the evidence and pursuing prosecutions where these crimes take place.”
The survey also found:
The number of till snatches rose by 28 per cent;
The number of robberies declined by 23pc;
The number of burglaries declined by 16pc; and
Violence against retailers or staff fell by 10pc.
Lowman added: “These results demonstrate that local shops have been successful in implementing measures to mitigate and even prevent the impact of planned crimes like robberies and burglaries. Although there is a worrying increase in opportunist crimes such as till snatches, we urge retailers to stay vigilant and implement common sense policies like keeping cash levels low.”
