Angel Islington BID is hosting a roundtable next week as part of its new campaign to tackle shoplifting.

BID members, retailers, police and local authorities are due to attend the 'Tackling Retail Crime Together' forum at the Business Design Centre on Thursday, February 13, where discussions will include understanding the current situation and implications for retail, opportunities for improvement, and possible solutions and best practice.

Speakers and participants will include:

  • Chief Inspector Lisa Maslen, Retail Crime Lead, London Safety Centre
  • Matthew Crawford, Chair, Angel Islington BID
  • Insp. Andy Field, Neighbourhoods Lead, South Islington
  • Ch. Insp. Victoria Kneale, Camden and Islington Metropolitan Police
  • Cllr Angelo Weekes, Executive Member for Community Safety, Islington Council
  • Adam Cummins, Angel Central Shopping Centre
  • Dr Shaun Yates, Researcher & Senior Lecturer in Criminology, London Metropolitan University
  • Chirandeep Mondol, Senior District Crown Prosecutor (Magistrates Court Team)
  • Rose Karn, Probation Service, Islington
  • Edward Woodall, Government Relations Director, Association of Convenience Stores
  • Ben Stephenson, Chief Executive, Angel Islington BID
  • Jan Hart, Programme Manager, Angel Islington BID

Angel Islington BID launched its 'Human Cost of Retail Crime' campaign last month, responding to calls from members for greater focus on the issue following a significant rise in retail crime.

BID Chief Executive Ben Stephenson said: "The safety and wellbeing of our business community is paramount. We believe that by sharing the stories of those affected and working collaboratively, we can create meaningful change and support our local retailers."

Retail crime has become a significant concern nationwide, with customer theft incidents rising dramatically. According to recent reports, customer theft has doubled to 16.7 million incidents annually, costing retailers a record £1.8 billion. Additionally, there are over 1,300 violent or abusive incidents daily, affecting the well-being of retail workers.

A recent survey by Angel Islington BID found that more than 70% of respondents cited 'loss of morale' and 'safety concerns' as an impact of shoplifting. Alarmingly, 40% of respondents witnessed shoplifting incidents involving threats of violence between a few times a month and every day. This has led to workers leaving the retail sector, further exacerbating staffing challenges in local businesses.

Angel Islington BID is calling for several key actions to address retail crime effectively:

  1. Restoring confidence: Ensure all reports of shoplifting are followed up by police when evidence is submitted, and police attend in instances involving threats of violence or prolific offenders.
  2. Increased police presence: Increase police patrolling resources in town centres, both day and night, to foster an inclusive, safe, and resilient economy and deter offenders.
  3. Specialist Business Crime Officers: Deploy specialist business crime officers alongside neighbourhood teams to address competing priorities effectively.
  4. Retailer engagement: Encourage retailers to report all shoplifting offences and implement secure shopfloor design and CCTV installation, with a 'kitemark' assurance of police action.
  5. VAWG Strategy Inclusion: Include threats to female shop workers in the national Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, with specific targets to measure and reduce these incidents.
  6. Information sharing: Establish information sharing agreements to encourage a case-based approach and cooperation across social housing providers, police, retailers, BIDs, and council community safety departments.
  7. Criminal Behaviour Orders: Increase the use of Criminal Behaviour Orders and injunctions to ban prolific offenders from town centres and enforce breaches.
  8. CPS and Courts: Ensure that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Courts recognize these as serious crimes impacting people and livelihoods.
  9. Data-driven response: Promote better use of research and data to understand economic and social impacts and drive an informed response.

Next week's roundtable is the first in a series of events over the next few months with police, MPs, the Mayor and others to raise awareness of the problem and its impact on retailers. Coming up includes a tour of Angel retail businesses on March 13 with Dame Emily Thornberry MP and other stakeholders to further highlight the local challenges.

For more about the campaign here, contact the BID's Programme Manager Jan Hart at jan@angelislington.london.