Robbery and Retailing
Home Office statistics do not separately identify robberies and violent crime against
retail premises, but a number of organisations closely connected with the retail trade
have given the subject close attention.
In the summer of 2000 the Independent Retail News, http://www.talkingretail.com/
published research, which indicated that one in four shopkeepers may have been a victim
of violence. This study received widespread media coverage and served to raise the
issue, not only for retailers but also within the wider public arena.
The survey of more than 1,600 convenience stores, off licences, forecourt shops
and post offices, comments that retailers in the north-west of England feel most at
risk and those in the Borders least vulnerable. Other findings were;
Almost 25% of independent retailers or their staff have been victims of violent
crime at work.
In more than 50% of the cases a knife or a firearm was involved.
40% of the attacks have either put the shopkeeper in hospital, required a visit
to the doctor or led to time off work.
Almost 50% of the retailers who have suffered violence have been victims more
than once.
Almost 30% said they felt at risk "all the time" and more than four out of
five have been threatened at some stage.
More details of the work of the Independent Retail News can be found at their website.
They can also be contacted by e-mail on irn.feedback@rbi.co.uk
Practical help to prevent robbery is available in 'Preventing Robbery, A Guide
for Retailers' published by the Home Office. Although it was produced in 1997, it
still contains valuable information to help reduce the incidence of retail robbery.
Subject areas covered include;
Surveys, Repeat Attacks, Cash in Transit, Till Snatches, Train Your Staff, Remove
the Target and Protect Cash [link to booklet/ Dave Fernley, can you scan and include
as a link]
The British Retail Consortium http://www.brc.org.uk/
also publish helpful information for retailers on many aspects of retail crime and
frequently post press releases aimed at partnerships tackling crime matters. Businesses
can also access extensive information through the Business Crime Check database at
www.crimecheck.co.uk They can be contacted
by e-mail at crimecheck@aol.com See also the
recent publication by Dr. Martin Gill, 'Commercial Robbery', which looks at robbery from the offender's perspective.
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