Assaulting a shop worker is to be made a separate criminal offence in England and Wales, the Government has intimated, which would bring south of the Border in line with Scotland.
Home Secretary James Cleverly announced among other things a ‘bespoke offence of assaulting a retail worker’ will be part of the Criminal Justice Bill currently before Parliament. A Government document, titled ‘Fighting retail crime, more action’, stated: “This will send a strong message that assaults against retail workers are completely unacceptable and will be met with tough consequences”.
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Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of British Safety Council said: “The Government’s decision to make assaulting a shop worker a standalone criminal office in England and Wales reflects the rising risks faced by retail workers. To date, the retail sector has largely shouldered the weight of protecting staff against intimidation and violence, through enhanced de-escalation training, self-defence training, and the introduction of body-worn cameras.
“Providing law enforcement agencies and our courts and tribunals service, with the powers that they need to combat and prosecute violent offenders should serve as an effective deterrent to would-be offenders. A standalone offence reflects the severity of the recent rising trends in anti-social behaviour, intimidation, and physical violence faced by those in customer-facing retail roles, and reminds wider society why worker safety must form a cornerstone of government policy, our society, and our economy.”
Jason Towse, pictured, Managing Director, Business Services at the security and facilities management contractor Mitie described shoplifting as ‘not a victimless crime’ and said the announcement was a clear signal that violence or threat of abuse to retail workers will not be tolerated. “It is positive to see the Government listening to both the retail and security industries who have been campaigning for more stringent measures. As well as tougher sentences, it is encouraging to see an enhanced plan published by the Government to fight back against retail crime, building on the police’s Retail Crime Action Plan. We know that with multiple drivers of retail crime, a consistent, multilayered approach is required to truly clamp down on it.
“The use of technology is key to catching organised criminal gangs and repeat offenders, so the earmarking of funding for bespoke units to identify criminals wanted by police, including repeat offenders, is a good first step. Yet we can do even more when the police and the industry collaborate. Pegasus, a new initiative launched in late 2023, brings together a powerful combination of industry leading technology with highly trained specialists. Through Pegasus, the sharing of anonymised information between 13 retailers including Boots, M&S and Co-op is already starting to build a bigger picture of retail crime across the UK. Crime hotspots and patterns are being mapped and we can track the activities of organised crime groups from Liverpool to Leicester to Llandudno to create a whole picture. Data is already being shared with the police to secure convictions.
“By looking to this smarter, more joined-up way of operating as the new normal, we can deploy a future-proof, zero-tolerance approach to retail crime, deterring potential offenders and enhancing the protection and safety of our shop workers and security professionals.”
And Shirine Khoury-Haq, Chief Executive of the Co-op, said the announcement would resonate with shop workers. “As a Co-op, we exist to make a genuine difference for our five million member owners and the issues they care about. This change shows the true power of co-operation, with our colleagues and Co-op member-owners having called for this urgent change to ensure no shop worker should face violence or abuse as part of their job.
“It will make a real difference to the lives of not only thousands of our Co-op colleagues, but also shop workers across the nation and it sends a strong and clear message to shop workers that they have been listened to, and a warning to criminals that their unacceptable behaviour will no longer be tolerated.”
And at the trade body the British Retail Consortium (BRC), chief exec Helen Dickinson said ‘the voices of the three million people working in retail have finally been heard’.
Background
See the recent Co-op and criminologist Prof Emmeline Taylor report, Stealing with Impunity – the policing of prolific local offenders and the impact on our shops and communities.
See also the April print edition of Professional Security Magazine about Mitie’s evening debate at the Old Bailey.
