Crime

A report released today by the influential think tank Policy Exchange has suggested that shop theft has been 'decriminalised' because of a weak response from courts and police.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: "Shop theft is one of the biggest operational challenges retailers face and it's frustrating when we see repeat offenders getting away with fines. The only way to tackle shop theft effectively is by encouraging police and retailers to work closely together and prevent reoffending with tougher sanctions for repeat shop thieves."

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has called for a tougher stance on shop theft from police and the justice system after figures released today by the British Retail Consortium revealed that the cost of shop theft across the retail sector has increased. Recently published government data also reflects this trend, reporting that overall, there has been a 5% increase in shop theft offences in England and Wales.

ACS is calling on retailers to share their experiences of retail crime over the last 12 months as part of the Crime Survey 2015.

The survey asks retailers to outline the number of incidents of crime in their store, including shop theft, robberies and anti-social behavioural incidents. The survey also looks into the causes of these crimes and what measures retailers have in place to prevent crime from happening in their stores.

ACS has called on its members to support the Home Office’s Commercial Victimisation Survey, which provides crucial information to Government on how businesses in England and Wales are affected by crime.

Simon Danczuk, Rochdale MP, will take on the Chairmanship of the All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group following Priti Patel MP’s promotion in the Government reshuffle to Exchequer Secretary. ACS Chief Executive James Lowman, said: “We are pleased that Simon is taking on the Chairmanship of the Small Shops Group. Simon already has an exemplary record campaigning on small shop issues such as business rates and planning policy. We would look forward to working with Simon over the coming months to get local shops’ voices heard in Parliament.”