Incidents of violent crime against retail staff were on the rise even before the pandemic, as the BRC calls on Westminster to follow Scotland’s lead and legislate against it.

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The British Retail Consortium published its annual crime survey for the 2019/20 financial year on Tuesday, after the pandemic delayed reporting last year. 

The survey found that incidences of violence or abuse rose 7% for the period up to 455 incidents a day, with the total cost to retail businesses climbing to £2.5bn, up 14% year on year. 

In terms of costs of crime, the survey found that customer theft during the period cost retailers £935m, while theft by employees cost £284m. 

The survey also found that only 6 in 100 incidents of violence and abuse were prosecuted having been reported to police. The BRC said this meant that around 90% of retail staff are “failed by the justice system” every day. 

As a result of soaring incidents of crime against retail staff, the BRC has called on the UK government to support changes proposed by Shadow Policing Minister, Sarah Jones MP, making crimes against retail staff a statutory offence. 

Making crime against retail staff a statutory offence would “toughen sentences for those who are violent or abusive towards shopworkers, deter future perpetrators, and ensure shopworkers feel safer at work”, according to the BRC. 

Scotland leading the way against violence

The BRC said any legislation should be based on Daniel Johnson MSP’s Shopworker Protection Bill, which recently passed Scottish parliament. 

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Chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Will retail workers in England and Wales ever receive the protection they deserve? Despite clear evidence showing the escalation of violence and abuse against retail workers, the Government has time and time again chosen not to act.

“These are not mere statistics, those affected are our parents, our partners and our children, all who needlessly suffer, just for doing their job. Many incidents arise as staff carry out their legal duties, including age verification and more recently, implementing Covid safety measures. And, despite retailers spending enormous sums on crime prevention, the situation is only getting worse. Scotland has sent a clear message that the rise in violence and abuse must end, and the rest of the UK must follow their lead.”

While the survey doesn’t cover the pandemic period, BRC director of business and regulation Tom Ironside said the coronavirus and associated safety measures had only exacerbated abuse and violence - both against shop staff and between customers. 

“We have a lot of information which has been shared by our members over the course of the last 12 months, which indicates that a new trigger point does originate from [the pandemic]. Both from some of those processes and requirements, but also from customers occasionally challenging one another. This also highlights the difficulties associated for members of the retail workforce in trying just to get sort of compliance and good behaviour.”