The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has published its Retail Crime Survey for 2020, revealing a record spend on crime prevention by those in the industry, with £1.2 billion spent on security measures.
Yet, despite this amount being spent, businesses lost more than £1 billion to crime in 2017/2018, so making a total cost to retailers of £2.2 billion.
Violence against staff members was cited as the main area of concern for businesses, with 424 abusive incidents recorded each day, a rise of nine per cent on the previous year.
The BRC is now keen to see a comprehensive review of the Out of Court Disposals system to make sure that the root cause of offending is being tackled, such as drug and alcohol addition, instead of just handing out more fines to repeat offenders.
It also wants the Home Office to commission and fund a thematic review of violence against those working in retail, including the links to theft and damage. Retail violence should also be included in the Strategic Policing Requirement, along with appropriate resources for the police to prioritise this issue on a local level.
“Violence is a scourge on our industry and the three million people who work tirelessly to deliver for customers around the country. It harms the people who work in our shops; the families they go home to; the communities they belong to. It must not be tolerated,” chief executive of the BRC Helen Dickinson said.
There is a lot of technology available these days to protect both homes and businesses around the country, whether you want to invest in CCTV, burglar alarms, motion-activated lights and so on. A risk assessment can help you work out which would be best for you and your premises.
If you need the help of burglar alarm installers in Slough, get in touch with us today.
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