A training video for convenience store retailers on ways to manage in-store violence and abuse was launched at the trade body the Association of Convenience Stores‘ crime seminar in London on March 20. Also released at the event was crime guidance; and the ACS’ latest crime survey.
Ed Woodall, ACS head of policy and public affairs, talked the audience of retailers, police and crime prevention specialists through the animation. Free to use, he suggested it could be a resource shown to staff at tills to understand techniques to deflect blame when retailers are required by law to ask for identity if they suspect under-age people are trying to buy alcohol or cigarettes. As the ACS crime survey showed, the top causes for aggressive and abusive behaviour are first, challenging shop thieves; then enforcing an age-restricted sales policy; and then refusing to serve drunks.
Among the advice is that you don’t say the person is drunk; you should stay calm and polite. Likewise a way to deal with shop theft is by being attentive; saying hello, meeting and greeting, so that the potential thief knows that you, the shop worker, are watching them. The advice is to avoid direct confrontation, and instead offer the person a shopping basket; or offer to help carry their goods. If they run; don’t block their exit; and if they become aggressive, call 999.
If there is a robbery, which is the ACS points out a rarity; follow the robber’s instructions. Raise the alarm if it is safe to do so. Never chase after the robber; close the store, and write down as much as you can about the robber and get-away vehicle as description, to pass to police. Ed Woodall thanked the retailers Co-operative Group, McCalls, Blakemore and the National Business Crime Solution (NBCS) for help with the animation.
Earlier the Home Office minister for crime Victoria Atkins began the event with a video address; then Julie Byers, public affairs manager and Katie Cross, research executive at the ACS went through the association’s 2018 crime report. Rory Geoghegan, head of criminal justice at the think-tank the Centre for Social Justice, went over the CSJ’s research commissioned by the ACS, ‘Taking Stock; understanding the problems of shop theft and related ‘low-level’ crime’. Retailers Paul Cheema, Susan Connolly, and Joe Rutlidge, head regional security manager for One Stop, gave their views.
A lack of consistency in police and criminal justice response, or a plain lack of any action, were among themes of the day, which as the audience heard and agreed means much retail crime goes unreported; which can demoralise security and general retail staff. The ACS crime report, and others gathering retail crime statistics who spoke to Professional Security, pointed to a rise in crime against retail.
However, it was not all grim news: other speakers were Chief Insp Patrick Holdaway, head of the local policing delivery unit, at Hampshire Police, who described how the force, taking a concept from Humberside Police, have worked with Asda and Sainsbury’s on consistent decision-making and response by police – control room and officers on the streets – to retail theft. The pilot schemes found more crimes being reported by the retailers to police; yet fewer arrests being made by deployed police. The gains; retailers know where they stand – when they can expect police to attend to make an arrest, and when not; and don’t for example waste time hanging on the 101 non-emergency police line.
Gary Brown, business stakeholder manager, for the City of London Police-based National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), discussed fraud and cyber; and Bola Oginni, of TCM Group, spoke on conflict management. After lunch, updates came from Daphne Wisbey of the Met Police-based National Business Crime Centre; and Catherine Bowen of NBCS.
You can view the three-minute video ‘managing violence and abuse in convenience stores’ on the ACS Youtube channel.
See also National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) guidance on safety at work: https://nbcc.police.uk/.
