02 November 2007, 20:41 PM
  • The value of goods stolen from shops is at a ten-year high and violent acts against retail staff have risen by 50% in a year according to the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) 2007 Retail Crime Survey.

This year the survey concentrated on detected theft. That is where the thief was actually caught and prosecuted. This gives a highly reliable, though very conservative measure. Previous BRC surveys have shown 75% of losses go undetected.

It shows losses from detected customer theft rose by eight and a half percent from £189m to £205m a year. Losses to undetected customer theft are likely to have risen by at least the same proportion bringing the total cost of goods stolen to £830m.

Findings also indicate that, compared with last year, incidents of physical violence rose 50%, while threats of violence more than doubled and the number or incidents per employee rose by a third.

Kevin Hawkins, BRC director general, says, “Last year shop staff were subjected to around half a million incidents of abuse or violence in their work places and retailers clocked up even greater losses to theft. It’s clear the current approach is not working.

“The Government and law enforcers must stop believing retail crime as victimless and committed by harmless petty criminals. Most shop thieves are driven by drug addiction. They are certainly responsible for other crimes. They have a significant impact on our communities.

“In pledging an increased emphasis on ‘Neighbourhood Policing’ and so called policing by participation the Government must recognise retailers are a valuable asset to our communities and that shop workers are citizens within those communities, worthy of protection. Not just part of a large industry that can go on taking this annual beating,” he concludes.