Liverpool city centre reports that it’s bucking a national trend of increased crime during the credit crunch, thanks to a retail crime reduction scheme.
The scheme, operated by the Liverpool chamber of Commerce and supported by Merseyside Police and Citysafe (the Liverpool Crime Reduction Partnership), has helped Liverpool city centre to buck the national trend for an increase in crime during recession.
Across some parts of the country crime figures have soared in the wake of the credit crunch, according to research by Independent Retail News.
It was found that retail crime in London shot up by 15pc in the second half of last year, whilst in Derbyshire; offences jumped 43pc from 1,459 between July and December 2007 to 2,092 in 2008. And in North Wales, shoplifting has risen by 10pc.
Crime rose by 5pc across the wider Merseyside region, though Liverpool city centre – Merseyside’s commercial heartland, bucked the regional trend with a 3pc decrease in retail crime on the previous year. Liverpool city centre also saw a 16pc drop in shoplifting incidents over the Christmas period, compared to 2007’s figures.
This reduction should be seen against the background of a massive increase in the number of retailers; including 160 stores in the new Liverpool One complex, and a jump by Liverpool from 15th to fifth in the league of retail destinations nationally.
Tony Jopson, co-ordinator of the scheme said: “The retail crime reduction scheme in the city centre is very vibrant and energetic. There are now 203 members on the scheme, who keep us very busy. Every store has a radio which enables all members to communicate with each other; alerting the presence of shoplifters and other thieves. The radio’s can also be used to contact the city’s CCTV operators and the police.
We also issue our members with monthly crime updates on current criminals and crimes that could affect their business.”
He added: “It is this partnership working that is keeping our City centre a safe place to do business, to shop and to visit.”
Recorded crime figures for offences of shoplifting in the City centre since 2002:
2002 = 1640
2003 = 1385
2004 = 1240
2005 = 1511
2006 = 1488
2007 = 1354
2008 = 1317.
