The retail sector had some good news last week. The Crime & Policing Bill – which has finally entered parliament – includes the creation of a separate offence for assaulting a retail worker, putting the industry a step closer to the protections it has so longed for.
Needless to say it’s been a long time coming. Retail crime is rife and has been increasing in both number of incidences and severity for some time now. It’s been called “an epidemic” and“out of control”, with some even claiming the lack of deterrent makes it effectively “decriminalised”. And those words shouldn’t be taken lightly, because they paint a true picture.
It’s no secret what’s driving the problem: it’s a perfect storm, consisting of the cost of living crisis, inflation, homelessness, poor mental health and a dire lack of public services in place to adequately address any of these issues.
Causes of crime
The convenience sector is becoming increasingly aware shop theft is being driven by prolific offenders, who are stealing to fund a drug or alcohol addiction. In fact, 70% of offenders fit exactly that description, according to West Midlands police officer Stuart Toogood, who spoke at The Grocer’s Business Lunch today.
But there is a solution. For six years, Toogood has been leading the Offending to Recovery scheme, which focuses on the underlying causes of crime by making sure people who are stealing to fund an addiction are treated in a rehab facility or recovery communities.
Unique to its service, however, is the ability to offer heroin addicts a monthly injection called Buvidal, an opioid blocker supplied by charity Change Grow Live. The withdrawal drug is “slow-releasing, calms [addicts] down and takes that craving away”, says Toogood.
This is clearly a more effective solution than repetitive short-term prison sentences, which are unlikely to solve these substance abuse issues.
And there’s living proof it works. Joining Toogood on the panel was Keeley Knowles, a 41-year-old ex-offender who used to steal up to a £1,000 a day in order to fund her heroin habit, which had been taking hold since she was 13.
Knowles has been on Buvidal for 15 months now, which has not only stopped thousands of pounds entering the drug market, but has also prevented even more from being stolen from retailers. As part of her rehabilitation, Knowes is now giving back, helping others who have been living – and stealing – under similar circumstances.
It’s a story retailers must take on board to know that the wider issues are being addressed, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Change in narrative
Knowles’ success story isn’t the only progress the nation has seen from government and police in tackling retail crime.
As well as introducing the standalone offence of assaulting a shopworker and scrapping the “effective immunity” for shop theft offences under the value of £200, the National Police Chiefs’ Council has also been carrying out quarterly dip samples to see how police forces have responded to violent shop theft incidences, as prioritised in the Retail Crime Action Plan.
But critically, as criminology professor Emmeline Taylor says, there has been “a change in narrative”. The sector is aiming to replace the phrase “shoplifting” with shop theft, helping to remove the indication that it is a “victimless, low-level and petty” crime, which fails to communicate the violence and aggression that comes with it.
The Labour government is listening to the indsutry’s long-fought campaign, and retailers should take heart. As Taylor says: “Things are progressing, and the tide is turning in terms of shop theft.”
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