Growth in retail crime highlighted by Usdaw and ACS, as a senior police officer accepts that it has been a low priority in the past

Addressing the committee, Chris Morris, Usdaw deputy head of research and policy, said: “Organised criminals can be incredibly violent. We’ve agreed policies with retailers that shop workers shouldn’t intervene in those instances; it’s not up to the shop worker to put themselves at risk. We think that is the right policy, but we do get comments from members that that has a mental health impact, in terms of feeling so powerless. In 2016, half of our members told us they were abused at work - last year it was 77%.

James Lowman, ACS chief executive, added: “Shop theft is not a new thing, but what we have seen really change in recent years is the brazenness and the lack of any consequences that we feel many thieves have. So, we see shelves just being cleared and people just walking in and out with no attempt to hide what they are doing. The number one issue facing retailers is the cost of the crime, which amounts to a 10p crime tax on every single transaction, that we’re all paying every time we go to shops.”

Superintendent Lisa Maslen, national business crime centre lead, City of London Police, said: “We moved away from community policing and I think shoplifting fell off the police agenda; that’s my personal view. I think culturally <retail crime> was <treated as low-level>, but in the last couple of years a lot of things have changed, largely due to the escalating levels of violence, threats and assaults. People realise it’s not just shoplifting anymore. It’s frustrating as well for police officers, when they see they are locking the same people up week after week.” 

Speaking after the session, Joanne Thomas – Usdaw general secretary says: “Usdaw shares the frustration of the police who for many years were under-funded and suffered severe cuts in officer numbers under austerity, while shoplifting of goods worth less than £200 was practically decriminalised; that was the legacy of the last Conservative Government. 

“We are very pleased that Labour is increasing police spending power in real terms, along with introducing the Crime and Policing Bill to combat the growing problem of retail crime, theft from shops and the abuse of retail staff.

“We now look forward to a much-needed protection of retail workers’ law; ending the
indefensible £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters, which has effectively become an open invitation to retail criminals; and Criminal Behaviour Orders for offenders. It is our hope that these new measures will help give retail workers the respect they deserve.”