The Association of Convenience Stores has responded to the
publication of the Home Affairs Committee’s report into policing,
urging the Government to take action to ensure that police forces
are adequately resourced to deal with crime. ACS figures show that
over three quarters of retailers are concerned about the response
from police when crimes are committed against their business.
The report, ‘Policing for the Future’, which has been taking
evidence on the changing demands of policing, states: ‘Policing
is struggling to cope in the face of changing and rising crimes,
as a result of falling staff numbers, outdated technology,
capabilities and structures, and fragmented leadership and
direction. Without significant reform and investment, communities
will be increasingly let down.’
Findings in the report include:
- Crimes including robbery, theft and vehicle related theft
have been increasing sharply after a long period of crime
- Recorded crimes have risen by 32% in the last three years,
while the number of charges/summons has decreased by 26%
- Neighbourhood policing has been cut by over 20% since 2010
Research conducted by ACS earlier this year shows that 82% of
retailers are concerned about the consistency of the response
from police, with 73% dissatisfied with the time taken for the
police to respond to incidents. The 2018 ACS Crime Report shows
that the number of incidents of theft in the convenience sector
rose from 575,000 in 2017 to 950,000 in 2018.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The Home Affairs
Committee report highlights the significant pressures that police
forces are under to deal with the rising levels of crime.
Convenience stores are an all-too frequent target for robberies,
theft, verbal abuse, ram raids and attacks on retailers and
staff. If a crime is committed, the police must respond and
investigate, and the courts must pass an effective sentence.
“We need a collaborative approach to ensure that crimes are being
dealt with properly rather than being ‘screened out’ or
ignored. This means beat police officers, neighbourhood
policing teams, police and crime commissioners, the courts and
rehabilitation programmes all playing their part. Retailers are
investing record amounts in crime prevention measures, but they
must be supported by the police and the justice system.”
Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Rt Hon MP said: “Police officers
across the country are performing a remarkable public service in
increasingly difficult circumstances, but forces are badly
overstretched. Crime is up, charges and arrests are down, and the
police service is struggling to respond effectively to emerging
and growing challenges, such as online fraud and online child
abuse. Policing urgently needs more money. The Government must
make sure policing is a priority in the Budget and Spending
Review, or public safety and communities will pay the price.”
The full Home Affairs Committee report is available
here: https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/home-affairs-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/policing-for-the-future-inquiry-17-19/
ACS has previously responded to the Home Affairs Committee’s call
for evidence on the future of policing. The full submission is
available here: https://www.acs.org.uk/lobbying/crime/home-affairs-committee-policing-future
