Co-op has warned that actions must speak louder than words for the retail crime epidemic to end as it has experienced almost 300,000 incidents of shoplifting and abuse this year.
The convenience retailer welcomes the new government Retail Crime Action Plan, however has said that there is a long way to go.
Last month, the government unveiled its plan which will see a new Organised Retail Crime capability formed within the Operation Opal unit funded by Project Pegasus – a partnership between 13 retailers including John Lewis, Co-op, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Next.
Key activities of this unit will be creating a new dedicated intelligence team, training retailers on information and intelligence to share with policing, and utilising facial recognition software across the public and private sectors.
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It also intends to ensure police attendance in stores to tackle violence where prolific offenders or youth offenders have been detained.
Co-op data found that of the 3,000 occasions this year where specialist teams detained serious offenders, the police failed to show up 76% of the time.
Co-op managing director Matt Hood said this move is “welcome and reassuring” and should “compliment the £200m we’ve invested in colleague and store safety.”
The retailer has invested in the latest CCTV, body-worn cameras, dummy packaging to deter looting and bulk-theft, and recruited undercover guards to patrol its shop floors.
Hood added: “We very urgently need to see it in action in our stores, so the desperate calls to the police from my front line colleagues are responded to and the criminals start to realise there are real consequences to their actions.”
Co-op highlighted that where the serious incidents are prioritised, it is a solvable issue.
Where there is an established partnership approach with forces such as Nottinghamshire, Essex and Sussex, 56 prolific offenders have been removed from the streets this year, with a combined 26 years of custodial sentences.
A further 31 repeat offenders were given a Criminal Behaviour Order or rehabilitation.
