Assaulting retailers to become offence under Crime Bill amendment

Retailers have welcomed a proposed amendment to the crime bill, which will make it an offence to assault a shop worker.

The amendment was tabled by policing shadow minister Alex Norris earlier this week.

Muntazir Dipoti, president of the Federation of Independent Retailers (Fed), said:  “We have been lobbying the government for years for better protection for those who work in shops, for any form of attacks on shop workers to be taken more seriously and for the penalties for those who commit such crimes to be more stringent.”

Judith Smitham, owner of Trelander Stores and The Old Dairy – Pydar Stores in Truro, told Better Retailing she “absolutely” supports the Crime Bill amendment, and added: “You assume if someone comes into your shop and assaults you, you’d be protected like you are at home, but that’s not the case at the moment.

“Even if you have CCTV and you know who a thief is, you’re told it’s not worth [the police’s time].If someone smashes a vodka bottle and shoves it in your face, that’s pretty scary isn’t it? If we all stand together and shout a bit louder, hopefully our voices will be heard.”

In Scotland, abusing or behaving violently towards a shop worker has already been passed as a stand alone offence.

Dipoti added: “We call on MPs from all parties to support [the amendment in England and Wales]. The burden of crime prevention shouldn’t fall on retailers’ shoulders. Government intervention is crucial to safeguard retailers, particularly smaller shops.”

Last year, the policing minister Chris Philp encouraged shop workers to make ‘citizen’s arrests’ on shoplifters, a message branded as ‘dangerous and irresponsible’  by retail union USDAW.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said the amendment would show “clear support” for retailers, as crime rises despite shop owners investing in safety measures such as body cameras.

“We cannot stand idle and let another year go by as retail crime continues to rise and retail workers continue to suffer,” Dickinson said. “The current laws simply do not go far enough. We call on MPs of all stripes to support this vital amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill.

“The Protection of Workers Act in Scotland already provides additional protection to retail workers, so why should our hardworking colleagues south of the border be offered less protection?

“It would also increase the visibility of incidents so that police forces can allocate appropriate resources and ensure they provide an adequate response to incidents.”