THE THREAT TO RETAIL IN A POST COVID WORLD - In Partnership with CrimeStoppers - Mitie ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
SECURITY THE THREAT TO RETAIL IN A POST COVID WORLD In Partnership with CrimeStoppers
DELIVERING THE EXCEPTIONAL, EVERY DAY.
As the country takes its first tentative steps back to normality,
Mitie and and the independent charity Crimestoppers are
appealing for people to anonymously report what they know
about crime against commercial outlets.
With at least 400 shopworkers suffering In conjunction with these concerning
some form of abuse every day, anti-social statistics, two-thirds of retailers (65%) have
behaviour and violence towards retail workers experienced Covid-related threats, with
is a bigger problem than most people realise, the most common causes of abuse being:
and this has only been exacerbated by the reminding customers to wear face coverings,
global pandemic and the impact of lockdown reminding customers of social distancing
restrictions. measures, and the implementation of
queueing outside stores.
Mitie and Crimestoppers are working
together to encourage people to report The British Retail Consortium has already
what they know about crime against local spoken out about the enforcement of the
businesses, from shops to company premises, rules with Andrew Opie, the BRC’s director of
factories to warehouses. These shops and food and sustainability, recently stating:
businesses play a crucial role in society –
indeed, many staff in these businesses are
now classed as key workers, providing “While enforcement of face
essential services. coverings is the responsibility
Throughout this document we will cover of the police, retailers
some of the biggest threats facing the retail
industry in a post-Covid world, and how continue to do what they
you can play a part in preventing abuse and can to encourage their use
violence towards retail and shop staff.
throughout stores. Sadly, this
INCREASE IN ABUSE
has led to a SHARP RISE IN
The Association of Convenience Stores’ 2021 INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE
Crime Report from March 2021 details the
extent of the issues faced by retail staff, with AND ABUSE AGAINST
over 1.2 million incidents of verbal abuse,
and around 40,000 incidents of violence SHOP WORKERS, which is
against people working in convenience stores why police must support the
throughout the past year. Of these, more than
a quarter involved a weapon, such as a knife, work being done by retailers.”
hammer, axe, or syringe.
2 THE THREAT TO RETAIL IN A POST COVID WORLD 3
DELIVERING THE EXCEPTIONAL, EVERY DAY.
TARGETS OF ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR
VICTIM OF VIOLENCE OR ABUSE
Through the pandemic the violence and
abuse has been seen by many roles within
the retail environment. The charts indicate
the trends of individuals targeted by the
violence and provide a snap-shot of the
increase since the mask enforcement policy
was implemented.
Throughout the pandemic, the retail teams
have been subject to various examples of
violence or threatening behaviour when
asking individuals to follow Covid guidance.
These include:
COLLEAGUE
Threats of extreme violence to Security CUSTOMER
Officers, including the threat of knives.
SECURITY OFFICER
STORE DETECTIVE
Violence for ensuring that masks are worn OTHER
or that individuals maintain social distancing
or queue to enter or use the tills.
TYPE OF ABUSE
Spitting or threat of spitting. This is
often accompanied by a threat that the VERBAL ABUSE
individual is currently infected with Covid.
ASSAULT
Verbal abuse for requesting that
individuals wear masks. ASB
0 50 100 150 200 250
Verbal abuse for enforcing distancing 21/01/21
07/01/21
regulations.
4 THE THREAT TO RETAIL IN A POST COVID WORLD 5
DELIVERING THE EXCEPTIONAL, EVERY DAY.
WIDER THREATS
TO RETAIL
Whilst targeted abuse against retail colleagues remains
a significant concern, it is important to not lose sight of
wider threats to the retail sector.
With lockdown measures easing across the Recent years have demonstrated an increasing OCGs in March 2021 alone. 4,772 known OCGs are actively operating in
UK, the threat of terrorism is likely to increase trend toward IED attacks that are suicide The National Crime Agency (NCA) classes the UK, a quarter of which are estimated to
as public spaces and shopping centres once initiated, a trend creating additional challenges serious and organised crime as one of the be involved in violent criminal activity, with
again become densely populated areas. for security personnel at shopping centres, deadliest threats to the UK, costing £37 recruitment and networking for these groups
retailers and public spaces. billion each year. However, organisations can largely taking place in prisons. Around two-
With more than 43,000 people currently take steps to mitigate the impact of OCGs. fifths of these OCGs are non-British based,
featuring on the MI5’s Terrorism watchlist, UK Although there has been a rise in vehicle- Through the use of intelligence software, with most of their UK members not being
shopping centres, retail establishments and ramming attacks in the UK and elsewhere, such as Mitie’s Merlin 24/7 system, data can British. Both British and non-British OCGs
public spaces are likely to face the return of a the increased use of hostile vehicle mitigation be captured and aggregated from multiple have a presence in multiple countries, making
longstanding terrorist threat as they reopen barriers at UK shopping centres, retail sources. Thanks to an extensive leading retail them harder to dismantle.
in the coming weeks and months, as the and public spaces is likely to preclude the UK customer base, Mitie utilise Merlin 24/7’s
crowded nature and easy accessibility of these viability of such an attack. Crime prevention intelligent case file management function As well as being international, OCGs are not
locations makes them attractive targets for through environmental design (CPTED) is a to work closely with the police to provide involved in only one crime type; an OCG may
aspiring terrorists seeking to carry out mass- prominent consideration for any public space, data that can assist in convictions and civil specialise in one type of crime but will likely
casualty attacks. and through the use of risk and resilience recoveries, as well as inform collaborative commit a host of other offences alongside
experts and assurance managers, locations operations against OCGs and prolific their speciality.
In recent years, multiple terrorist groups have can be proactively or retroactively designed offenders.
used their media platforms to call for attacks to minimise the risks of criminal activity and This highlights the need to target the cross-
specifically targeting shopping centres, among terrorist acts, such as vehicle-ramming. Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) is cutting enablers that allow criminal activities
a broad range of other targets. To combat wide-reaching, affecting more citizens more to be carried out, such as the financial flow
such threats, the Centre for the Protection Whilst the terrorist threat remains severe it frequently than any other threat and leads to of a group. Finance continues to be the main
of National Infrastructure (CPNI) advises is not the only wider threat the retail industry more deaths in the UK than terrorism. criminal motivation, making illicit financial
that multi-layered security practices focused faces. Organised crime groups (OCGs) have The NCA estimates at least 350,000 flows very important. There is no indication
on the principle of deter, detect and delay as been on the rise as the lockdown restrictions individuals in the UK are involved in this type that OCGs in the UK are cooperating with
the optimal method for protecting crowded have lifted, and through our customer Security of crime, with the threat only increasing as terrorist groups.
spaces such as shopping centres, retail and Operations Centres and Crime Intelligence social tensions rise as a result of the turbulent
public spaces. Managers, Mitie have identified four new past 12 months.
6 THE THREAT TO RETAIL IN A POST COVID WORLD 7
DELIVERING THE EXCEPTIONAL, EVERY DAY.
This new legislation, known widely assessments of their operating
as ‘Martyn’s Law’, would require places and spaces, mitigate the
MARTYN’S companies to engage with freely
available counter-terrorism advice
risks created by the vulnerabilities,
and create and implement a
LAW and training, conduct vulnerability counter-terrorism plan.
The types of locations that will likely be within scope of the legislation include:
Additional measures to combat the rising PUBLIC VENUES LARGE ORGANISATIONS PUBLIC SPACES
threat of terrorism include new anti-terrorism or entertainment such as public parks,
legislation in memory of a Manchester Arena and sports, tourist including retail, or beaches, town /
bombing victim. attractions and entertainment chains city squares and
shopping centres pedestrianised areas
Take proportionate and reasonable measures to prepare
What do I have to do? for, or prevent, a terrorist attack; this will likely include:
CONDUCT MITIGATE PREPARE ENGAGE
with freely available
Centre for Protection
vulnerability of National
the risks created
assessments of a counter- Infrastructure (CPNI)
by the identified
operating places terrorism plan counter-terrorism
vulnerabilities advice and training
and spaces
attractions and
shopping centres
The key objective of ‘Martyn’s Law’ is to improve the security at publicly accessible locations and venues by
requiring owners and operators to actively consider and implement measures to keep the public safe from
a terrorist attack. Whilst the new legislation is still under consultation, businesses should begin planning now,
working with risk and resilience experts to properly identify, plan and implement new measures to protect
their locations and the general public.
Crimestoppers is an independent charity that gives people the power to speak up to stop
crime. If you have information on a crime, but want to remain 100% anonymous, contact
Crimestoppers by calling freephone 0800 555 111 or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.
No police contact. No witness statements. No courts. Every year we help stop thousands
of crimes. So let’s make communities safer together.
8 THE THREAT TO RETAIL IN A POST COVID WORLD 9THE EXCEPTIONAL, EVERY DAY Mitie Security Limited 650 Pavilion Drive Northampton Business Park Northampton NN4 7SL mitie-gso.com @MitieSecurity alwaysprepared@mitie.com
You can also read
