Retail Crime Strategy 2024 - 2027

Having recognised the increased challenges being faced by retailers in our county, in spring 2023 Northamptonshire Police set up a team dedicated to investigating retail crime targeting prolific offenders and offering support to businesses. 

The challenges posed by shoplifting and retail crime are not unique to Northamptonshire but I believe we remain ahead of the curve in tackling it. 

We are achieving this in supporting our store workers and businesses, and in making sure those responsible for repeated offending, and especially offences involving threats or violence, are held to account.

This commitment is also improving community safety, as those responsible for retail crime are often also involved in other types of acquisitive crimes such as burglary, theft from vehicles and drug-relating offending.

I'm proud to lead such proactivity in tackling retail crime and hope this strategy helps you understand more about all the work we have underway.

Chief Superintendent Chris Hillery, Head of Local Policing

What is retail crime?

Retail crimes are offences committed against shops or those working there.

Offences include:

• Violence or abuse towards shop workers
• Theft of goods (shoplifting)
• Criminal damage
• Fraud
• Burglary
• Robbery

This can include individuals working alone, for example to fund a drug addiction, or as part of an organised group stealing goods to sell to fund other criminal activity.

Retail Crime Action Plan

The national Retail Crime Action Plan was launched in October 2023 with government support. We are fully implementing this plan and the requirements have informed this strategy. Read the full document here.

The challenge

The causes of retail crime are multifaceted. The most prolific offenders tend to steal to fund addiction or operate within organised groups to support other criminal activity. There is a small element who are driven to steal due to cost of living pressures. Shop workers who attempt to intervene in such offending can suffer assault or abuse, nobody should be subjected to this behaviour while at work.

Northamptonshire Police is committed to delivering a proportionate response to any reported crime. The starting point for any prolific or organised criminals will be charge and placing them before the next available court. Out of court disposal options will only be considered if the circumstances are appropriate, generally for first time offenders.

In the 12-month period to February 2024 Northamptonshire Police recorded 4,695 shoplifting offences - a 30 per cent increase from the previous 12-month period.

However, in the same period the Force increased the rate of those receiving a positive justice* outcome for theft by 54 per cent.

*A positive justice outcome in this case refers to those charged, cautioned, receiving a community resolution or where admissions have been made and the court takes the offence into consideration (TIC).

National statistics

• Just over 1,300 violent or abusive incidents a day, up from almost 870
• Overall cost of retail crime including crime prevention measures was £3.3bn, almost double the previous year
• Only 36% of incidents of violence and abuse were reported to police by retailers

Source: British Retail Consortium crime survey report 2024

The vision

To make Northamptonshire a hostile place for retail crime offenders.

Northamptonshire Police will work with partners and the retail community to fully implement and comply with the national Retail Crime Action Plan, specifically to:

• Reduce crimes against retailers and shop workers, including security personnel
• Respond appropriately to detained shoplifters or immediate risks to shop workers
• Build trust and confidence among the retail community and key stakeholders, problem-solving alongside them
• Gather best evidence when offences occur and seek proportionate criminal justice outcomes
• Explore prevention and intervention opportunities, including use of ancillary orders via the courts to provide victim redress and/or prevent further offending
• Coordinate to identify and disrupt organised shoplifting groups operating within the county
• Disrupt the re-sale of stolen goods

How will we get there?

In May 2023, Northamptonshire Police launched a trial to better combat retail crime under the name of Operation Elegance.

Combining retail crime evidence gatherers to work with and support businesses and police officers to further investigate and build charging packages against prolific offenders, the team transformed the local approach to dealing with retail crime.

Run in partnership with the Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership and other key stakeholders, supported by funding from the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, the project resulted in significantly increased justice outcomes and better support for our local retail community.

This initiative has now been permanently embedded as the Northamptonshire Police Retail Crime Team, who work across the Force and with our partners to jointly deliver against this strategy.

Prevent

We will make it difficult for retail crime offenders to operate within our county and use formal problem-solving measures where required:

• Prolific offenders will be dealt with via an offender management approach with key stakeholders
• We will use a variety of tactics to target-harden and keep shop workers safe, such as utilising technology and providing crime prevention advice to frequently targeted stores
• Any complex issues will be approached utilising recognised problem-solving models and partner agencies
• We will apply for bail conditions and (where possible) ancillary orders against abusive and anti-social retail crime offenders to restrict criminal behaviour, and take robust action against any breaches
• Patrols will take place at high-harm retail crime locations
• We will act on any intelligence to disrupt offenders and reduce their ability to convert stolen goods into cash

Pursue

We will use policing powers wherever appropriate and necessary to target offenders and bring them to justice. This will include:

• Gathering best evidence of shoplifting offences. We will send digital evidence packs to secure this at the first opportunity and offer support to stores where needed or requested
• Deploying all tactics at our disposal to identify suspects
• Ensuring the prompt arrest and processing of identified retail crime suspects
• Ensuring serious offences such as robbery are prioritised and overseen by specialist investigators in the Force’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID)
• Applying for remands into custody via the courts when prolific or organised offenders are charged with any offence
• Taking business impact statements in relevant cases for the courts to consider within their judgements
• Utilising intelligence and data to focus on those causing the most harm to our communities
• Working with the National Business Crime Centre, Pegasus, and retail security hubs to identify and target any organised retail crime groups
  operating locally

Prepare

We will be a force that is prepared and has the correct structures and culture to deliver an excellent service to the retail community:

• Our control room operatives are trained to assess any crime reports against the Retail Crime Action Plan to ensure the most appropriate response
• We will work locally and nationally to ensure a better fusion of data between police records and information held by retailers
• We will work with the National Business Crime Centre and source best practice with regards to tackling retail crime
• We will track outputs and outcomes to ensure a sustained approach
• We will keep abreast of developments in retail crime and ensure officers and staff receive appropriate ongoing training where required
• Our local policies and practice will be reviewed to ensure they provide a
  proportionate and supportive service to retailers and shop workers

Protect

We want the local retail community to feel safe and to engage with Northamptonshire Police. We want shop workers to have the confidence to report violence and abuse incidents to use:

• For assaults and abuse against staff where a crime is recorded, the victim will either be visited by an officer or offered a telephone appointment, depending on the immediate risk
• We will ensure victims are offered suitable support
• We will listen to retailers, both directly and through forums such as the Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership
• We will respond to individual needs and service recover where required
• Compensation orders will be submitted where appropriate
• We will seek community intelligence on those committing retail crime and those handling stolen goods and act accordingly

How can you help?

We ask that the retail community reports offences and makes evidence available to us as soon as possible.

We ask that shop workers report incidents of assault and abuse to us. This helps us to help you by taking targeted action.

We ask the public to remain vigilant and report any community intelligence to us.

How to report

Retailers signed up to the Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership can report offences, engage with other retailers, and obtain key information through their digital app DISC. For more information, including how to join, visit the Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership website.

For Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership membership enquiries, please contact [email protected]

If a crime is taking place

Do not put yourself at risk - in an emergency dial 999.

For any other incident or to share information, call police on 101 or report on our website.

If you wish to report information anonymously please contact independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555111 or visiting their website.

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