Calls for police action to tackle violence against retail staff
A survey conducted by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) shows an increasing pattern of violence and abuse towards retail workers in the UK, almost double that of pre-pandemic levels, including significant rises in violence and shop theft.
Findings from the Annual BRC Crime Survey 2023 also revealed that over 300,000 colleagues suffered some sort of violence of abuse in the course of the year.
APCC Lead for Business Crime and Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Sussex, Katy Bourne, said:
“The experiences reported across the UK in the BRC Annual Crime Survey mirror those I have been hearing about from businesses in Sussex.
"Too many shopworkers are being abused and assaulted every day. Where store safety policies guide staff not to challenge offenders, this can lead customers and people living near shops to feel that criminal and anti-social behaviour is becoming normalised.
"It’s clear that we will only drive crime down by bridging some of the gaps that still remain in reporting processes, police response, criminal justice sanctions and a partnership approach to prevention.
"Police need businesses to report incidents and provide evidence that can identify offenders. PCCs will make sure that the concerns of BRC members get the national and local policing attention they deserve.”
Read the full report here.