It’s ‘not worth the risk’ targeting Central England Co-op stores, the retailer says, after adding to its security.
The retailer has some 260 food stores and petrol stations, across 16 counties. It says any type of crime whether burglaries to violence and aggression towards staff would ‘not be tolerated’.
Craig Goldie, Loss Prevention Manager, said: “During these uncertain times we all having to adapt but one thing that remains constant for us here at Central England Co-op is our zero tolerance towards all types of crime. We want to send a clear message out to anyone who might consider targeting our stores at this time – it is not worth the risk and no crime will be tolerated.
“We are working hard to ensure our colleagues and customers are safe so that we can continue to provide vital services and support to our communities. As well as working closely with local police forces, we have also put in place extra security guards to help keep colleagues and customers safe and also make sure that people are respecting social distancing rules.
“We also want to reiterate our plea to treat our colleagues with care, compassion and respect as they work around the clock for our communities. We want people to think long and hard about the person wearing our uniform – they will be someone’s mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, grandma or grandfather.
“We want people to ask themselves whether they would like their relatives to be confronted by someone in a violent or aggressive way, especially at this uncertain time – the answer is no and therefore why should our colleagues or anyone who works in retail have to even consider facing up to this kind of behaviour.”
The retailer has employed an extra 150 security guards in stores and on its distribution side, or almost 2,000 extra hours a week. Centrally monitored CCTV allows colleagues to call for assistance at the touch of a button. As in other high street retailers, the Co-op also uses product GPS trackers, ATM anchors, and gas suppression systems against attempts to blow open cash machines; and on the policy side, cash controls in place to limit the amount of money at each store to very low levels at all times.
Food stores (pictured) have external motion sensors installed outside, which can be activated outside of trading hours. When activated they will switch on CCTV cameras to record any out of hours activity.
The February 2020 print issue of Professional Security magazine featured, at the annual business crime summit by the West Midlands police and crime commissioner David Jamieson, a presentation by the Central England Co-operative (CEC). It funds drug rehabilitation, and supports addicts through mentoring; for corporate social responsibility reasons, and because it makes business sense. That arm of the Co-op worked out that ten people, known to have an addictions, were causing most of its theft by customers. Visit www.centralengland.coop/updates.
