Ask your Police and Crime Commissioner Candidates to tackle retail crime

Retail Crime is a blight on our high streets which has a severe cost not only on the retailers who are subject to it, but also shop workers who are all too often on the frontline of this crisis.

Police and Crime Commissioners, or Mayors with control over policing in their area, can make a difference in tackling this important issue by ensuring that retail crime and protecting shopworkers is included in their local Police and Crime plan.

With Police and Crime Commissioner and Mayoral elections taking place in just a few weeks time, will you write to both your Labour and Conservative local candidates and ask if they will be taking action to tackle retail crime?

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Promoted by Joe Fortune on behalf of the Co-operative Party, both at Unit 13, 83 Crampton Street, London, SE17 3BQ, United Kingdom. Co-operative Party Limited is a registered Society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. Registered no. 30027R

To write to your Police and Crime Commissioner or Mayoral candidates about this issue, add your name and email to this form and press send. We have provided a template response which you can edit if you wish.

Address*
Postcode
Conservative Name
First name Last name
Conservative Name Full
Conservative Party
Conservative Email
Labour Name
First name Last name
Labour Name Full
Labour Party
Labour Email
Name String
Email Full
To: councillor@email.com

Dear Name,
Your message*
Retail Crime is a blight on our high streets which has a severe cost not only on the retailers who are subject to it, but also shop workers who are all too often on the frontline of this crisis. Over recent months and years levels of retail crime have soared, and alongside the increased instances of shop theft it is the violence, threats and abuse directed towards retail staff which is most damaging. In 2023, Co-op Group stores reported around 1,000 incidents a day of retail crime. That represents an increase of 44% on the previous year. This is of particular concern to me as a member of a co-operative society. Too often, instances of theft and retail crime act as trigger points for violence directed towards retail staff. The British Retail Consortium estimated there were 850 assaults on shop staff a day in 2021-22. In the Co-op Group, there has been more than a 35% increase in violence and abuse in 2023. The National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) Retail Crime Action Plan published in October 2023 has set out clear commitments to attend incidents in shops where there have been violence or abuse, where an offender has been detained and where evidence needs to be collected. These commitments are welcome but it will only make a difference to shopworkers if it implemented by individual constabularies. As a prospective Police and Crime Commissioner or representative with policing powers, I would ask whether if you are elected you will ensure that: — commitments in the NPCC’s Retail Crime Action Plan is fully implemented; — the new stand-alone offence of assault against a shopworker is enforced and progress is reported through your Police and Crime Plan. I would be grateful for a response to understand whether you intend to make tackling retail crime and protecting shopworkers is a central part of your agenda if you are elected.
Yours sincerely,
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