Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott said he would pass on to Kent Police any evidence retailers could provide of officers not taking retail crime seriously.
The comments came at a meeting with NFRN South East district president Bhavesh Patel and six other federation delegates at Kent police headquarters last week. Patel told Better Retailing: “We discussed how retailers felt that smaller crimes weren’t being dealt with, and Matthew took this very seriously.
“He told us that, across Kent, any type of crime was considered a serious crime, and he assured us that if any officers were not taking this seriously, he would pass on to Kent Police any evidence retailers could provide.”
Read more: PCC pledges to make retail crime easier to report
The meeting took place after the district struggled to schedule a date for the Police and Crime Commissioner to attend one of their council meetings.
Patel stated that repeat offending of retail crime remained a priority in discussions, and Scott agreed a solution was needed to stop it. “We explained that when criminals aren’t prosecuted, it encourages others, because they think they can get away with it,” said Patel.
“Matthew understood this, and said he would try to work with retailers to reassure them he was there to provide any support they needed.”
During the meeting, Scott encouraged retailers to report all retail crime to its 101 number. “He advised retailers to report all levels of crime through its phone line service or on its website,” said Patel. “He also revealed that the county plans to put more police officers on the road. He said the police are there to support not only retailers, but anyone who might need them.”
Patel stressed how important it is for districts to meet their PCCs. “We are trying to help the government tackle repeat offending,” he said. “We need all the other districts to follow in the same footsteps.”
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