Police must treat store theft and aggression seriously, says RUTH SUNDERLAND

Working in a shop ought not to feature highly on any list of dangerous occupations.

In three years, however, there has been a huge increase in violent and abusive incidents against retail staff.

At Tesco, Co-op and other major chains, it has reached such a pitch that employees who deal directly with customers are equipped with body cameras, as we reported in the Mail on Sunday this weekend.

Even the genteel John Lewis Partnership has introduced body cams for staff in stores and in the posh Waitrose grocery chain.

Store chains are installing more CCTV. Along with the use of body cams, this raises customer privacy issues, which need to be weighed against the safety of workers.

Depressing picture: The Co-op has spoken out over its highest ever levels of crime and antisocial behaviour

It paints a depressing picture of a decline in civility, behaviour and values. Supermarkets and shops are meant to be a safe environment, serving their local community.

Some retail bosses are reluctant to talk publicly for fear of putting off customers, most of whom treat staff politely.

But their silence risks sweeping a very real problem under the carpet.

It’s important not to exaggerate. Most shops have not become sites of urban dystopia. Popping into your local supermarket has not turned into the equivalent of visiting Andre’s convenience store-cum drugs stash house in the US TV series The Wire.

Nevertheless, it is disconcerting that body cams, previously confined to high-conflict roles, are now a standard part of the shop workers’ uniform. And for some stores in some areas, the situation is dire.

The Co-op has spoken out over its highest ever levels of crime and antisocial behaviour and warns it may be forced to shut stores in some communities.

The trigger for the increase in attacks was the pandemic. Shoppers were stressed and frustrated at the lack of availability of products. Inexcusably, some vented their anger on store staff.

But the obnoxious and criminal behaviour has not died down post-Covid. Instead, it appears to have become entrenched.

No doubt the cost of living crisis is also fuelling checkout rage, though store workers, most of whom are on modest wages, do not deserve to be targeted. In a recent industry survey, they report being hit, shouted at, subjected to racial or sexual insults, spat on and threatened.

Most incidents were not reported to the police and if they were, the result was for little or no action to be taken.

The Co-op says that 71 per cent of serious retail crime receives no response from the police.

Across the whole industry, in 2021/22 more than 850 violent or abusive episodes occurred every day, almost double the pre pandemic level. Over a year that adds up to around 300,000 people.

The effect on victims can be profound, particularly when they have to return to their workplace and may be anxious about encountering the attacker again.

Taken collectively, it is a shockingly large number of people.

As well as the human cost, there is also a large financial toll. Losses from crime and the associated prevention measures add up to £1.8billion across the retail industry.

That feeds through to the customer in the form of higher prices.

Retail workers were among the unsung heroes of the pandemic, making sure the nation was fed. Some store chains want assaults on their staff to be designated a specific offence. This would act as a deterrent and make it easier to collect robust data on the extent of the problem. The Government and police forces need to treat it with the seriousness it deserves.

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk