1,300 Incidents of Abuse Per Day – Time for a Standalone Offence?
- Violence and abuse against retail workers increased by almost 50% to 1,300 incidents per day
- Retailers spent £1.2bn on crime prevention measures
- Total cost of crime for retailers doubled to £3.3bn
- 60% of respondents described police response as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’
- BRC calls for a standalone offence for assaulting, threatening, or abusing retail workers
Violence and abuse against retail workers have nearly doubled, reaching 1,300 incidents per day in the UK. Retailers spent £1.2bn on crime prevention measures, but the total cost of crime rose to £3.3bn. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is calling for a standalone offence for assaulting or threatening retail workers. Police response was deemed ‘poor’ by 60% of respondents. Sussex police and crime commissioner, Katy Bourne, urges fellow commissioners to prioritize tackling shoplifting in their local Police and Crime Plans.
Factuality Level: 10
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate information from the British Retail Consortium data, quotes from relevant sources such as Helen Dickinson (BRC CEO) and Katy Bourne (Sussex police and crime commissioner), and discusses the increasing issue of violence and abuse against retail workers. It also presents a call to action for government intervention and improved police response.
Noise Level: 2
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about the increase in violence and abuse against retail workers and the impact on the industry, as well as calls for government action to address the issue. It also includes quotes from experts in the field. However, it does not contain any filler content or irrelevant information.
Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: The rising cost of crime and theft impacts the financial performance of retail companies.
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses the increase in violence and abuse against retail workers, leading to higher costs for retailers due to increased spending on crime prevention measures and the overall impact on their financial performance.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: Other
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: Moderate
Extreme Rating Justification: While there is an increase in violence and abuse against retail workers, it does not meet the criteria for an extreme event as it is a social issue rather than a crisis. The impact rating is moderate due to the high number of incidents but no significant deaths or injuries are mentioned.
www.retailsector.co.uk