Violence is a scourge on retail, says the trade body the British Retail Consortium as it reports its annual Retail Crime Survey. The BRC found that incidents of violence and abuse have risen 9pc from the previous year. The BRC points to increased use of weapons, above all knives, but also syringes and hammers, ‘without qualm even for relatively small amounts of gain’.
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Over 400 retail workers are subjected to violence or abuse in the workplace every day. These are not just statistics; these are real people who work hard for millions of customers every day. From abuse, to threats, to violence, those affected carry these experiences with them for a lifetime. The Government must help put an end to the scourge of retail crime. This means a stronger police response to criminal incidents, and new legislation to introduce tougher sentences for those who assault retail workers. No one should have to go to work fearing violence or threats.”
The report stresses that theft against retail is on a large scale, and organised; ‘executed with a high degree of planning and expertise’, involving a criminal ‘hierarchy and pre-set roles and responsibilities’. And the report hints that if anything the crime and risks in the survey are worse in reality, because shop staff may have been instructed not to intervene, if they encounter theft. The report also merely hints at a political aspect to police not attending thefts of less than £200 in value, because whatever police chiefs or PCCs (Police and Crime Commissioner) may say, police not attending such crime is ‘a response at local levels to resourcing pressures’.
The report’s recommendations, like Dickinson’s words, also strike a more strident tone than in previous years; though the issues of violence and intimidation – often to do with theft or more general anti-social behaviour, in society – are anything but new in the survey. The report asks that the Home Office set up a fund ‘specifically for tackling violence in the retail sector’; and that HM Inspectorate of Constabulary review violence against retail staff. The BRC wants increased penalties and sentences for offenders attacking shop workers; and a ‘comprehensive review’ of the Out of Court Disposals. Again nothing new, the BRC complains that repeat shop thieves are getting fines, not as the system is intended; and the BRC asks that the system to avoid bringing shoplifters before the courts should ‘ensure that interventions are tackling the root cause of offending such as drug and alcohol addiction’.
While the government does do things about retail crime – such as run a National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) – the BRC asks that its terms of reference be reviewed. And the BRC shows some impatience with the Home Office’s Call for Evidence about ‘Violence and abuse towards shop staff’, which closed in June 2019 without further action. The report includes at the end the June 2019 ‘delay is not an option’ letter signed by some 50 senior UK retail people about crime against retail.
Retailers were last year spending a record £1.2 billion on crime prevention (a rise of about 20pc, described by the study as a ‘very substantial recent upsurge’). The report notes that the spend is shifting away from preventing theft towards ‘colleague protection’; such as remotely monitored CCTV and personal safety alarms.
Yet the losses resulting from retail crime climbed to £1.0 billion, which includes about £770m from customer theft. This makes a total cost from crime and crime prevention of £2.2 billion, an increase of 16pc from the previous year’s £1.9 billion.
As in past years, most, 70pc of retailers surveyed reported that the police response to incidents was ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. The BRC says that it’s lobbying Parliament to introduce legislation that would make assaults on retail workers a specific criminal offence. The trade association is calling for police to prioritise retail crime and improve their response to incidents. The BRC makes the point that money raised from retail crime is often used by gangs to fund other crimes.
Or as the report put it: “Criminals are targeting retail as a stable income stream, and are prepared to use violence or the threats of violence to get their way.”
As for wider harm to society, the report points to the Centre for Social Justice’s report from 2018, ‘Desperate for a Fix’, that stresses the links between retail crime and the illicit drug trade; as addicts steal to fund their addiction.
On fraud, again little is new; retailers report refund fraud and credit fraud, and voucher fraud all as problems, while the study complains that the UK’s Criminal Justice System in general and the Action Fraud reporting line in particular finds it ‘extremely difficult’ to ‘grip’ fraud effectively. The study notes that fraud is a ‘classic example of a crime where the victims are often in a different place to the criminals’.
Comments
Paddy Lillis, General Secretary of shop staff union Usdaw: “Life on the shop floor can be tough for many shop workers, and there is still a lot to do to protect them. We launched our Freedom from Fear Campaign in the face of growing concerns amongst retail staff about violence, threats and abuse. The campaign works with employers to promote respect and make shops safer for staff.
“It is high time for the Government to act by providing proper penalties for those who assault workers; a simple stand-alone law that is widely recognised and understood by the public, police, CPS, the judiciary and, most importantly, criminals.”
John Campion, West Mercia PCC, said: “No one should have to feel worried about going to work. The increased violence and abuse these retail workers are facing should not be tolerated and more needs to be done. I hope to see the Government respond positively to the calls for this crime to be recognised as a specific criminal offence. On a local level, I will continue to work with the police and partners to ensure the appropriate measures and resources are in place to prevent incidents like this from happening.”
And Dr Emmeline Taylor, Director of Research, Department of Sociology at City, at the University of London: “Record levels of theft, record levels of expenditure on crime control measures, and indications that the severity and frequency of violence against shop workers continues to increase. Government action is urgently needed to reverse the impact that ten years of austerity has had on the retail industry and our communities. No level of violence is acceptable and particularly against people who are just going about their job. Yet again the industry reports a shocking rate of incidents of violence against shop workers.”
