Weapons threat to independent stores

Friday, 03 July 2009

Violence against independent retailers has fallen in the past year, but the number of attacks involving weapons is on the rise, according to the 2009 Retail Violence Survey carried out by Independent Retail News.

Nearly 8% of retailers polled said they or a member of staff had been a victim of violent crime in the past 12 months, down from 20% in the 2008 survey.

The drop comes despite predictions that retail crime would soar as the economic climate worsened.

Worryingly, criminals appear to be more likely to use weapons when carrying out their attacks.

The proportion of incidents involving use of a weapon rose to 21%, from 11% in 2008. And one in 10 of those who were attacked needed hospital treatment - up from fewer than one in 30 in 2008.

Robberies made up 23% of violent incidents, while 12% involved physical assault and 35% verbal abuse.

The violence was again thought to be closely linked with alcohol and drugs.

More than 60% of victims thought alcohol was "often" or "sometimes" a factor in attacks, while a similar proportion felt incidents were drugs-related.

The police response is still lacking in some areas.

Nearly four out of 10 retailers who had been a victim of violent crime said they had received a visit from the police but no follow-up action.

That compares with around a quarter of incidents that did attract a follow-up.

Nearly 14% of affected retailers said they did not bother to report violent attacks to the police.

But the overall perception of police attitudes is improving.

Of the 360 retailers polled, 36% thought their local police force had got "better" or "much better" at tackling violent crime and anti-social behaviour.

More than 40% felt there had been no change and only 6% thought they were getting worse.

Retailers also appear to be showing more resilience in the face of violence and anti-social behaviour, with only 13% saying they had considered jacking in their business as a result.

Last year, 26% said they had considered shutting up shop.

Shane Brennan, public affairs director at the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), said: "Violence has real impacts, not just for those direct victims but also in creating fear of crime in the wider local shop community.

"Retailers can help to prevent violence - assessing risks and identifying trigger points will help to organise staffing and security on a safety-first basis

"This survey is another reminder to government and police that they can do more to support victims in the local shop sector."

The telephone survey was carried out last month by market researchers Marketing Addiction and is sponsored by tobacco manufacturer JTI.

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