'Criminals given a free pass' as shop thefts rocket to 16million cases a year
Shocking new figures reveal around 1,300 cases of violence and abuse against shop workers were reported every day last year.
This was a 50% increase in just 12 months, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) found. The group has slammed the "woefully inadequate" action taken by the Government to address the "crisis".
The BRC found 8,800 assault cases against shop workers resulted in injuries in the year to September. Their investigation found retail staff faced a barrage of violence and abuse from racial abuse and sexual harassment to physical assault and threats with weapons.
It found that customer theft doubled to 16.7 million incidents a year, up from eight million. Shoplifting cost retailers about £1.8 billion in the latest year, the highest recorded amount and the first time it has surpassed the £1 billion mark, the BRC said.
Helen Dickinson, the BRC's chief executive, said: "Despite retailers investing huge sums in crime prevention, violence and abuse against retail workers is climbing. With over 1,300 incidents every day, government can no longer ignore the plight of ordinary, hardworking retail colleagues.
Shop prices 'are yet to peak and will remain high' as inflation hits new heights
"Criminals are being given a free pass to steal goods and to abuse and assault retail colleagues. No one should have to go to work fearing for their safety." Ms Dickinson added: "This is a crisis that demands action now."
It comes after the Tories rejected calls for assault and abuse of retail workers to be made a specific crime with fines of up to £1,000. Labour has committed to bringing in the measure if it comes to power.
The Mirror is calling for better protection for shop staff. We are calling for police to investigate all cases of shoplifting and targeting of staff. Our campaign also demands the number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are restored and steps to reduce the causes of shoplifting.
Some of the country's biggest retailers have sounded the alarm over rising levels of shoplifting and violence against staff. The Co-op said there were more than 300,000 incidents of shoplifting, abuse, violence and anti-social behaviour in its stores last year, and called for MPs not to "turn their backs" on shopworkers.
The boss of John Lewis, Dame Sharon White, said shoplifting had become an "epidemic" with a rise in organised gangs looting stores. The chain is among 10 of the UK's biggest retailers which last year agreed to fund a police operation to crack down on shoplifting, dubbed Project Pegasus.
The companies are expected to pay around £600,000 towards the project, which will use CCTV pictures and facial recognition technology to get a better understanding of shoplifting operations.
Some retailers surveyed noted that the impact of the cost-of-living crisis changed the nature of shoplifting from one or two items to many. Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation hit a peak of 11.1% in October 2022, during the retail crime survey year, with people seeing much higher prices for everyday essentials such as food and electricity.
Other retailers said they had seen a greater willingness among shoplifters to turn to violence and abuse, and that they felt there was a lack of consequences for offenders. In the face of surging levels of crime, retailers spent about £1.2 billion on crime prevention measures such as CCTV, increased security personnel, and bodyworn cameras.
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