Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
First Report - Violence and abuse towards retail workers
Home Affairs Committee
HC 141
Published 29 June 2021
Recommendations
9
Not Addressed
Para 57
Police guidance for retail workers insufficient to address perception of inaction on retail crime.
Recommendation
We welcome the guidance for retail workers on when to use emergency and non- emergency numbers when seeking a police response and, in particular, setting out risk factors which will help the police respond appropriately to incidents. However, we do …
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Government Response Summary
The government details existing and ongoing work by the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) and its Task and Finish groups, including the establishment of two new groups on substance misuse and information sharing. However, the response does not specifically outline new actions to address the committee's concern about the perception that police 'don't care' about retail crime.
Home Office
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15
Not Addressed
Few Police and Crime Commissioners prioritise violence against retail workers in crime plans.
Recommendation
We strongly support calls for Police and Crime Commissioners to make action on violence and abuse towards retail workers a priority in police and crime plans. We are very concerned how few appear to have prioritised this in past plans, …
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Government Response Summary
The government's response details funding for additional police officers and the Safer Streets Fund, which has been expanded to include commercial areas and has allocated funds to projects focused on commercial settings. However, it does not directly commit to the committee's specific recommendation for PCCs to prioritize violence against retail workers or establish related performance metrics in their police and crime plans.
Home Office
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16
Not Addressed
Para 80
Require Chief Constables to improve monitoring, recording, and response to violence against shopworkers.
Recommendation
Chief Constables must do much more to demonstrate that they recognise the human cost of escalating violence and abuse against shopworkers. They need to ensure they have proper systems in place for monitoring and recording. Most importantly, they need to …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the current lack of mandatory recording for business crime and violence against shop staff due to data system challenges. It states that victims must report violence accurately and that existing sentencing guidelines already treat offenses against public-facing workers as an aggravating factor, but does not commit to the recommended actions for Chief Constables.
Home Office
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17
Not Addressed
Para 85
Lack of neighbourhood policing capacity damages retail worker confidence and crime prevention efforts.
Recommendation
The lack of capacity in neighbourhood policing teams to build relationships with retailers, identify prolific offenders and respond swiftly to incidents of retail crime has damaged the confidence of retail workers. It has made it harder to maintain close relationships …
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Government Response Summary
The government highlights its commitment to recruiting 20,000 additional police officers and the funding provided for territorial policing. However, it does not specifically commit to prioritising or ring-fencing these new resources for neighbourhood policing teams, as recommended.
Home Office
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