The ‘Winter of Action’ builds on the Safer Streets Summer initiative, which took place in almost 650 town centres and resulted in over 16,000 arrests and fines, mostly for shop theft and anti-social behaviour. The summer also saw targeted visible patrols up almost 20% compared to the previous year, largely in town centres.
Home Secretary, Shabanna Mahmood said: “Shoplifting and anti-social behaviour are tearing at the fabric of our communities. This winter we are launching a crime fighting blitz with police patrolling our high streets across the country. This is part of our wider plans to fight crime with more police on the beat by the Spring to catch criminals and make our communities safe.”
Joanne Thomas – Usdaw general secretary says: “We very much welcome the repeat of this successful strategy that puts a greater focus tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in town centres. In the run up to Christmas, when the number of incidents increases as shops get busy and customers become frustrated, we are calling on the shopping public to ‘respect retail workers’ and ‘keep your cool’.
“Usdaw’s latest interim survey results have shown a welcome, but slight, downturn in the level of incidents retail workers are experiencing while doing their jobs. However, it remains shocking that nearly three-quarters of those working in retail are regularly facing abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. This is a hugely important issue for our members and they are saying loud and clear that enough is enough.
“This initiative adds to Labour’s action on retail crime. The Crime and Policing Bill will deliver a much-needed protection of shop workers’ law; end the indefensible £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters, which has effectively become an open invitation to retail criminals; along with Criminal Behaviour Orders. There is also new funding to tackle the organised criminals responsible for the increase in shoplifting and the Government has promised more uniformed officer patrols in shopping areas every day. It is our hope that these new measures will help provide the respect retail workers deserve.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Interim results of Usdaw’s 2025 survey based on 3,271 responses from retail workers across the UK show that in the last 12 months: 71% were verbally abused, 48% were threatened and 9% had been assaulted. The final results of the survey will be published in March 2026.
Usdaw’s ‘Freedom from Fear’ campaign seeks to prevent violence, threats and abuse against workers by engaging the public, shop workers and the Government. www.usdaw.org.uk/Campaigns/Freedom-From-Fear
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion