A trade union and retail trade body are each urging the Ministry of Justice to review of the use of cautions for offences such as shop theft.
The leader of the shopworkers trade union Usdaw, John Hannett has backed a call from a retail employers group, the Association of Convenience Stores.
The Ministry of Justice will consult on steps to ensure that offenders cannot receive a number of cautions for similar offences such as shop theft. The fixed penalty notices when they came in were meant only for first-time or low-value offences.
John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary says: “This week is Respect for Shopworkers Week, when Usdaw Reps and members across the country are asking the shopping public to ‘keep your cool and respect shopworkers’. The campaign week is part of Usdaw’s on-going Freedom from Fear campaign, which seeks to prevent violence, threats and verbal abuse against shopworkers. Shop theft is often a flashpoint for abuse and violence against shopworkers and we are concerned that when cautions and fixed penalty notices are used inappropriately, criminals are going unpunished and it sends the message that shop theft is a victimless crime.
“The latest statistics show that whilst overall crime is going down, there was a slight increase in incidents of shop theft. Our own surveying shows that 4 per cent of shopworkers were assaulted last year, which amounts to around 120,000 violent attacks a year against retail staff. These are very serious and concerning issues for our members and we will work with the Government, employers and police to promote the better use of cautions and fixed penalty notices.”
At the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) Chief Executive James Lowman said: “When cautions and fixed penalty notices are used inappropriately, it results in criminals who damage communities and businesses going unpunished, and sends the message that shop theft is in some way a victimless or secondary crime. We would like the use of these penalties to be reviewed so that our members are supported and offenders receive the right penalties and rehabilitation at an early stage.”
The ACS adds that it has consistently argued for the more appropriate use of fixed penalty notices, after police data showed that in 2011, 34,688 notices were issued for retail theft under £200. Over half of these notices (18,411) went unpaid.
