High time that the Government cracked down on retail crime - The Yorkshire Post says

The scourge of retail crime is one that all right-thinking members of society want to see stamped out.

An alarming trend of not just theft but also violence towards shopworkers has got out of hand. It is about time that the Government got a grip of it.

Shops are having to install security barriers, put tags on all kinds of items and some are even having to remove shopping baskets from entrances to prevent embolden criminals from brazen filling baskets and walking out.

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Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s visit to a Leeds supermarket is to be welcomed. Ms Cooper, who is also the Labour MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley, will no doubt now be aware of the challenges that shop workers face everyday when it comes to retail crime.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper arriving in Downing Street, London. PIC: Stefan Rousseau/PA WireHome Secretary Yvette Cooper arriving in Downing Street, London. PIC: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper arriving in Downing Street, London. PIC: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

And it’s not just theft. Many stores have had to pin body cameras on their staff in the face of rising abuse, both physical and verbal.

What does it say about society that retail crime has become so widespread that workers no longer feel safe?

Some of these are the same workers who were being applauded for going to work during the height of the pandemic while the rest of the country was safely sequestered at home.

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For small businesses, in particular, even one incident of retail crime can undo all their hard work so they would certainly welcome action.

The test of the Government’s intent will be how it goes about tackling retail crime. And it’s not something that can be dealt with in isolation. Police, retailers and other community stakeholders will need to be empowered to take back control.

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