Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw and Lancashire Constabulary have joined forces with Burnley BID and Charter Walk Shopping Centre to launch a zero-tolerance campaign to tackle the issue of violence against shopworkers.
The campaign is being launched as part of the first national Business Crime Reduction Partnership Week, raising awareness of business crime reduction partnerships, and their work, united against crime.
The campaign follows the introduction of the Crime and Policing Bill last month in which the Home Secretary also outlined new measures introducing a specific offence for assaulting a retail worker, and thanked the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, the Co-op and the Association of Convenience Stores for their campaigning efforts.
It also supports the work of Operation Vulture, Lancashire Police’s commitment to crack down on retail crime in the county. This operation addresses retail crime across the county head on, through increased patrolling in hotspot areas, proactive approaches to identify and target prolific shoplifters and prioritising incidents where violence is used.
Debbie Hernon Centre Manager of Charter Walk Shopping Centre said: “We have a strong Business Crime Reduction Partnership in Burnley that already deals with, documents and supports all partner agencies tackling town centre crime and this initiative is an important addition to support our shopworkers.
The campaign seeks to acknowledge the essential role of shopworkers in our communities, encourage kind behaviour in shops, whilst also raising awareness about the unacceptable scale and impact of abuse and violence which is replicated across the country. “
Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner said: “The fight against retail crime continues building momentum thanks to strong partnerships like this between policing and retailers, together with the recent government announcements to strengthen legislation.
“Retail crime, such as shoplifting, harassment of shop workers, anti-social behaviour and a range of other offences that take place in a retail and business setting, is a key issue being raised by the public both before and after my election.
“In my Police and Crime Plan for Lancashire I vowed to support the introduction of a new specific offence for assaults on shopworkers that will protect them from threats and violence.
“For too long we have seen the damage that both retail crime and shopworker abuse has on the people it involves. We need to support the policing response in Lancashire to make sure no offenders think they can commit crime with impunity, whether shoplifting, fraud or being abusive.
“Actions need to have consequences and workers, business owners and customers need to feel confident in the police response they will receive – both to feel safe and ensure every incident is reported, allowing a fuller picture of what is happening in our communities to be built and influence operational decisions.”
Laura Diffey, Burnley BID Project Manager, said: “In Burnley, our Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRP) is an initiative brought to our businesses and organisations by Burnley Business Improvement District (BID) collaborating with businesses, organisations, Lancashire Police, Burnley Council, and other stakeholders.
“Our goal is to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour that negatively affects businesses, organisations, employees, visitors, and the local economy.”
Burnley Neighbourhood Inspector Matt Plummer said, ““As part of Operation Vulture, we will continue to take action against those involved in retail crime which can have a significant negative impact on businesses, shop staff and our local communities.
“This behaviour is not welcome in Burnley, and we will do everything we can to ensure it feels safe and secure for all those to live, work and visit here.”
