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Shoplifting in England and Wales continues to rise according to police recorded crimes – Usdaw calls for action

Date: 26 April 2018 Shopworkers’ trade union leader John Hannett has called for Government action in light of the Office for National Statistics today reporting an 8% increase in police recorded incidents of shoplifting during 2017, continuing the trend of a 31% increase over the last decade.
Usdaw’s survey of shopworkers shows a 25% increase in violence, suggesting there are around 265 assaulted every day. The British Retail Consortium reported a doubling of violence against shop staff in their annual Retail Crime Survey. The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) reported nearly a million thefts from UK convenience stores in 2017, which is a 65% increase on the previous year. ACS also found that challenging shop thieves is the most common trigger for violence and verbal abuse. The number of incidents of violence faced by staff working in the sector was 13,437.

John Hannett – Usdaw General Secretary says: “Theft from shops is often a trigger for violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers, so the rising trend in shoplifting is extremely worrying for our members. The evidence from retailers, police and our own survey of shopworkers all show a disturbing increase in retail crime during 2017. This cannot be allowed to continue, action must be taken.

“We have long been concerned that theft from shops is not taken seriously and sometimes regarded as a victimless crime against large companies, but the reality is very different. A number of police forces have said that funding cuts mean they’re less likely to investigate theft from shops and there is evidence that overuse of fixed penalty notices is letting thieves get away with it.

“Life on the frontline of retail can be pretty tough for many shopworkers, there needs to be government action to protect them. The police must have the resources from Government to respond to incidents and investigate shop thefts. We want the Government to legislate for stiffer sentences for the thugs that attack shopworkers.

“We want to see retailers, police and the courts working in partnership to ensure better protection for shopworkers. Retail staff are an important part of our communities; their role must be valued, respected and protected.”

Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 28% over the decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
 
Police recorded crimes in England and Wales for 2017: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingdecember2017
 
Interim results of the Usdaw’s 2017 survey, based on 1,455 responses, show that over the last 12 months: 62.34% were verbally abused (an increase of 25%), 40.49% were threatened (an increase of 38%) and 3.23% were assaulted (an increase of 25%), which equals 265 per day. 56.11% had not reported an incident of abuse and 21.79% of shopworkers physically attacked did not report the assault. 79.91% say there needs to be a change in the law to provide better protection for shopworkers.
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion
 

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