Crimestoppers has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling shop crime after the release of the Association of Convenience Stores’ (ACS) crime report.
The annual report shows that near three-quarters, 74 per cent of shops suffered some form of crime in 2014, with the cost to the industry being around £35m. Crimestoppers and ACS report that they have been working together since 2010, and in that time, offences against shops and the costs incurred have dropped.
The percentage of shops who had incurred some form of crime in 2012 was 91 per cent, while the cost to the industry was around £44m. The partnership has primarily focused on trying to support law enforcement with appeals for information on incidents that have occurred against convenience store staff. As an example; in May 2013 when convenience store owner Arulchelvam Prasanna, 34, was murdered in the car park of a Costco store in Watford. Crimestoppers and ACS offered a reward of up to £50,000 for information leading to a conviction, which generated interest from the media and the public.
As a result, Patrick and James O’Driscoll were jailed for a combined 18 years for Arulchelvam’s murder. Crimestoppers and ACS, then offered a separate reward of up to £10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the last individual wanted in connection with this crime, Michael McInerney. After this additional appeal, McInerney was later charged by the police and is due in court in the coming months. Both Crimestoppers and the ACS say that they are determined to work together and prevent further incidents.
Crimestoppers Director of Development, Rodger Holden, said: “Partnerships such as this with ACS are crucial in tackling business crime and I am pleased that we are able to extend this relationship for a fifth year. During this partnership crimes against convenience stores have slowly decreased, and our hope is that this trend will continue in response to the work we carry out, and with the support of the public.”
Association of Convenience Stores Chief Executive, James Lowman: “Despite the success of investment in crime prevention measures, our sector still has to deal with £35m worth of goods being taken from shelves. We know from our survey that a significant proportion of criminals are stealing products from stores to fund other criminal activity. Shop theft is a gateway offence that can lead to much more serious crime, so it’s essential that these people are taken seriously by the justice system.”
Anyone with any information on incidents of crime can contact the Charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through an Anonymous Online Form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
