John Nussbaum, Director of Service – Retail, at Kingdom Security, discusses the new laws being brought in to tackle knife crime
Back in February this year, the government announced new powers for the police to tackle knife crime as part of the Crime and Policing Bill, set on making streets safer and reducing violent crime and theft across the country. There is no question that action is needed to tackle the rise in violent attacks on high street stores and in shopping centres, with shop staff feeling more unsafe than ever before – but it remains whether the new laws will be enough to stem the tide of more brazen shoplifting before it becomes more out of control than ever before.
At Kingdom Security, we have seen the changes that have occurred across shops and high streets across the UK. The ONS reported in January that instances of shoplifting have risen again to yet another 20 year high, and Home Office figures show that 55% of shoplifting cases were closed without a suspect being identified in the year ending September 2024.
As well as this, the BRC reports that violence and abuse against shopworkers rose by 50% in the past year, with more than 2000 incidents recorded every day. This includes physical and verbal abuse, as well as being threatened with weapons such as knives. In some of our shopping centres, between 20 and 30 knives, machetes and similar weapons are confiscated every month, and many of our security staff report shop workers generally feeling more unsafe than they did in previous years.
The problem isn’t going away, and will only continue to get worse if people feel there are no repercussions to their actions. The tougher crackdown on knife crime – including tightening identification checks when buying knives, increasing the maximum penalty for selling dangerous weapons to under 18s and criminalising possessing a blade intended to cause harm – will hopefully lead to more arrests for shoplifters who carry weapons, as well as reduce the number of people willingly carrying them around.
The Crime and Policing Bill will also remove the legislation which makes shop theft under £200 a summary-only offence. This will hopefully deter shoplifters who feel they can steal because there are no consequences, such as those who commit self-checkout theft. Assaulting a retail workers will also become a standalone offence, highlighting the severity of a crime which could potentially have deadly consequences.
Overall, many shoplifters commit crimes because they don’t feel there are any consequences to their actions, and they feel they can get away with it. With the threat of greater consequences, such as fines or criminal records, many minor shoplifters may stop stealing, as they aren’t doing it out of feelings of necessity nor are they ‘professional shoplifters’.
But to tackle increasingly violent criminals and organised crime, there needs to be a clear priority of stamping out crime gangs and deterring and identifying violent criminals before they even step into the store.
In the meantime, security is an essential deterrent and protection against violent offenders. People who still feel prepared to run the risk of arrest will target shops where security officers aren’t stationed, there are less staff working and they know high-value items are easily accessible. Disorganised shelves can also be a clear giveaway to a potential thief that they can get away with stolen goods, as it will take much longer for staff to realise items are missing.
Security can also assist with protecting shop staff, who may not have the required training or experience to approach people who they believe are stealing. It’s crucial for the correct steps to be taken to prevent shoplifting – such as checking CCTV footage / evidence first before approaching anyone, alerting the store manager, keeping a safe distance from a perpetrator and always prioritising making the public feel safe. These things are second nature to a security officer – and it’s what they’re there for. The police will be unlikely to attend quick enough to make staff feel protected during a theft, and it should not be a shop worker’s job to put their safety on the line to prevent one.
Ultimately, while these tougher laws are necessary steps to deter violent criminals, shops cannot rely on this fully to stop shoplifting or make shop workers feel safe again at their job. There must be investigations into organised crime, follow-through on reports of shoplifting, and retailers need to consider the benefits of security in making the public feel safe, preventing theft as its happening and managing staff health and wellbeing – none of which will be a solution without the others.