Shoplifting: Denton and Reddish

(asked on 29th March 2019) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to support convenience retailers in Denton and Reddish that have lost an estimated £123,303 from shop theft; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Victoria Atkins Portrait
Victoria Atkins
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
This question was answered on 5th April 2019

All forms of retail crime are unacceptable, and everyone has the right to feel safe at work.

I chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) which brings together partners including the police, trade bodies – including the Association of Convenience Stores - and retailers and is overseeing a range of work to tackle retail crime. This includes the collation and dissemination of good practice and developing guidance on the use of Impact Statements for Business, which give victims of business crime the opportunity to set out the impact the crime has had on the business, including, for example, financial loss. The NRCSG also continues to work with retailers to improve the management and response to shop theft using a partnership approach according to local circumstances.

On 21 January I announced that we will launch a call for evidence on violence and abuse towards shop workers to strengthen our understanding of this issue, including how existing legislation is being applied.

In addition, the Sentencing Council is due to consult on a revised guideline on assault in the summer.

Where shop theft involves anti-social behaviour, local areas may use the tools provided for by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Where appropriate, this may include the Community Remedy, which gives victims of low-level crime and anti-social behaviour a say in the punishment of perpetrators who receive an out of court punishment, and the Community Trigger, which gives victims of persistent anti-social behaviour the ability to request a formal case review.
The powers are deliberately local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the circumstances. The Home Office keeps use of the powers under review through an Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board which brings together key partners.

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