Silent Crime: Violence and threats against retail workers 'demands action now' as government plans crackdown

The BRC’s 2024 crime report showed that around 1,300 incidents of violence and abuse toward retail staff were reported in the year of 2022/2023. This was a 49.4% increase on the year prior, which recorded 870 incidents.

It comes as NationalWorld’s new campaign called ‘Silent Crime’ aims to shine a light on under-reported and unresolved crimes blighting everyday lives. We want to hear from you about your experience with crimes such as anti-social behaviours and harassment and whether you felt that justice was served or not. To tell us your story, click here.

Incidents towards shop workers reported in the BRC survey included racial abuse, sexual harassment, physical assault, physical threat. The level of incidents has also reached the same level as those seen during the pandemic, which the BRC said was particularly heightened as customers acted on frustrations over mandatory Covid procedures in stores.

The survey also found that respondents found two common triggers for violence and abuse directed towards staff members - asking for ID for age-restricted products, and confronting those accused of shoplifting. Almost 68% of retailers also placed violence and abuse against staff as their number one threat over the next two years.

Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Despite retailers investing huge sums in crime prevention, violence and abuse against retail workers is climbing. With over 1,300 incidents every day, the government can no longer ignore the plight of ordinary, hardworking retail colleagues. Teenagers taking on their first job, carers looking for part-time work, parents working around childcare.

She continued: “While the violence can be over in a moment, the victims carry these experiences with them for a lifetime. And we all know the impact does not stop there – it affects their colleagues, friends, and the family our colleagues go home to. This is a crisis that demands action now.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the Labour party conference that the government was aiming to crackdown on nuisance and petty crime, saying that the government “will back” shop workers facing violence. Cooper also shared plans to make violence against retail workers a standalone offence, as seen in Scotland.

Assaulting or abusing a retail worker has been illegal as a standalone offence in Scotland since 2021. This includes acting in an abusive or threatening manner towards the staff member, or physically assaulting a retail worker.

Ms Dickinson has called on powers in the rest of the country to follow suit urgently in a bid to tackle violence against retail workers. She said: “Criminals are being given a free pass to steal goods and to abuse and assault retail colleagues. No one should have to go to work fearing for their safety.

“The Protection of Workers Act in Scotland already provides additional protection to retail workers, so why should our hardworking colleagues south of the border be offered less protection? It is vital that the government takes action – introducing a new standalone offence for assaulting or abusing a retail worker.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer affirmed his Labour government’s commitment to tackle violence against shop workers, as well as shoplifting as a wider offence. When questioned on it, he said: “It is not acceptable and it can’t be acceptable in any circumstances. It is demoralising for the workforce and that’s why I’m pleased we can introduce an offence to deal with it.

“But we have to go further than that. We can’t have the situation where shoplifters can walk in, shoplift and walk back out again and nobody can do anything about it. We’re going to change that, work with you, we have to take it seriously. I’m not wanting to hear again from those on the front line about the appalling attacks and insults that they are subjected to.”