High Streets UK urges government action as retail crime soars
Calls for urgent action to tackle prolific offending and protect high street stores and their staff have kicked up a gear with representatives from major retailers warning that government promises risk falling short of objectives.
"Without urgent reform, current systems cannot deliver on government ambitions to tackle high street crime', The High Streets UK body, which represents 5,000+ businesses, has said.
The demand follows a recent Safer High Streets Forum in London, with the group publishing a four-point policy proposal for ringfenced policing of flagship destinations; criminal justice reform; a coordinated crackdown on international organised crime; and a national framework for business crime reporting.
It noted that while recent government commitments on retail crime – including reprioritising shoplifting and making assaulting a retail worker a standalone offence – are welcome acknowledgements of unprecedented levels of loss from customer theft, it warns that criminal justice infrastructure, police funding and strategic prioritisation of other crime categories 'must be urgently reviewed if the crime plaguing our high streets is to be meaningfully and holistically tackled'.
Dee Corsi, chair of High Streets UK and chief executive of founding member, New West End Company, added: 'Flagship high streets are engines of the local and national economy, drivers of tourism, and anchors for communities. But without urgent national action on crime, they are at serious risk.
'We have welcomed the Government's renewed focus on retail crime in particular. But we must go further and faster to tackle all types of crime affecting high streets, having a devastating effect on businesses and communities, tarnishing the UK's global reputation, and jeopardising tourism and investment.'
She added: 'At our Safer High Streets Forum, we shared our frontline experience of the international criminal gangs, business crime, prolific offenders and anti-social behaviour affecting our high streets – none of which can be meaningfully tackled with the current systems and resources in place.
'Together, we have set out a clear, practical blueprint for change. It's now time to focus on delivery.'
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