Concerns over major rise in Wiltshire shoplifting in 2023
Retail theft in the county went up by a staggering 42% last year
A shop workers union has said we are facing an "epidemic" of retail crime after data showed a 42% rise in shoplifting in Wiltshire during 2023.
That data, from the Office for National Statistics, is "hugely concerning" to Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) as there's been an upward trend in high street theft since the pandemic.
They say shoplifting isn't a victimless crime, with early numbers from their own survey of more than 3,000 shop workers suggesting that 60% of incidents that involved violence, threats and abuse were triggered by shoplifting or armed robbery.
Usdaw General Secretary, Paddy Lillis, says theft from shops has long been a flashpoint for violence and abuse against store workers.
"Having to deal with repeated and persistent shoplifters can cause issues beyond the theft itself like anxiety, fear and in some cases physical harm to retail workers. This 40% increase in shoplifting across the South West is further evidence that we are facing an epidemic of retail crime, which is hugely concerning.
"Our members have reported that they are often faced with hardened career criminals in the stores and we know that retail workers are much more likely to be abused by those who are stealing to sell goods on. Our latest survey results show that two-thirds of retail workers suffered abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence."
He's calling on the Government to do more to protect people working in shops by introducing a law that does so.
Such a law already exists in Scotland, and Mr Lillis says it would a "great start" to have such a law in England.
“This Government has repeatedly failed to act in the face of an epidemic of retail crime and rising theft from shops. It is deeply disappointing that there are no measures in their legislative programme to tackle high levels of theft from shops and abuse of shopworkers.
"Labour has promised to plug the gap by seeking to amend the Government’s Criminal Justice Bill to strengthen the law to protect shopworkers from violence, threats and abuse.
"A protection of shopworkers law, which already exists in Scotland, would be a great start to tackling abuse of retail staff.
"We also welcome Labour’s other commitments to 13,000 more neighbourhood police with guaranteed patrols in town centres, respect orders to ban repeat offenders and ending the £200 threshold for investigating and prosecuting shop theft. Labour is clearly offering the change our members need.”