Proposals to create holding cells in retail centres may help to combat retail crime but they must not be used to shift the responsibility of apprehending and holding criminals from the police onto shop staff.
So says trade body the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
A Home Office Consultation on the Review of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 includes proposals for police to use short term holding facilities (STHF), or cells, to detain criminals for offences such as shoplifting. These cells would be located in town and shopping centres. Suspects would be held under the supervision of a police officer and would be detained for identification and processing only. Under the proposal detainees would be held for no longer than four hours. The BRC believes this could help in the fight against rising retail crime, provided it lives up to its aim of freeing up more police officers for front-line duty. However, it must not be abused. Retailers should not be used as a baby-sitting service for criminals.
What they say
BRC Director General Kevin Hawkins said: "That this measure is even being considered indicates how significant the problem of retail crime has become. Some 10 million shoplifting offences are committed each year, often leaving staff exposed to potential violence and costing retailers more than £2bn annually. The proposal has merit, particularly if it were to achieve its aim of freeing up more officers for front-line duties. However, cells in retail centres should never be used for the long term detention of criminals and shop staff should never be called on to fulfill the role of the police."
The British Retail Consortium will consult with members over the Home Office paper and respond to the consultation document, the BRC adds.
