City of London Police’s Post

Last year I teamed up with BBC, Dr Elisabeth Carter and Shari Vahl to explore frauds arising from gym locker thefts. This latest spate of such thefts relies on gym-goers using the same pin for their gym lockers as they use for their bank cards / mobile phone pins etc. My advice is twofold. Firstly, try not to bring bank cards to the gym in the first place. Leave them at the office, or at home or in the car. If you need to bring a card to the gym, maybe follow Lis’s advice and slip it into your sock whilst you train. And secondly, never recycle your pins. So, never use the same pin for your locker as for your cards / phone. Criminals are watching you set your locker pin….. City of London Police Metropolitan Police Fraud Advisory Panel Third Space Nuffield Health Virgin Active Financial Fraud Awareness Campaign (FFAC) Fitness First UK PureGym Anytime Fitness Cifas BANNATYNE FITNESS LIMITED Gymshark BXR London #gymlocker #theft

Crime ‘spiralling out of control’ in stores, warns British Retail Consortium Sarah Butler 30 Jan 2025 UK retailers are warning that crime in their stores is “spiralling out of control” with 55,000 thefts a day and violent and abusive incidents rising by 50% last year. More than 70 incidents a day involved a weapon, according to the annual crime survey from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Verbal and physical attacks, violent threats, and sexual and racial abuse in shops soared to more than 2,000 incidents a day in the year to the end of last August, up from 1,300 the previous year and more than three times the 2020 level. The trade body’s report, based on a sample from retailers representing more than 1.1 million employees, found theft had reached an all-time high with more than 20m incidents during the year, 25% more than the year before. It said this had cost retailers £2.2bn with many more incidents linked to organised crime as gangs systematically targeted stores across the country. The rise in shoplifting has partly been seen as the result of a squeeze on household finances amid high inflation in recent years, but retailers said the uptick was down to organised gangs stealing to order. They said retail had been seen as a soft target since the 2014 law change in England and Wales which has meant those stealing goods worth less than £200 are usually spared any jail time. Paul Gerrard, the public affairs director at the Co-op, told the House of Lords justice and home affairs committee inquiry into shoplifting that a 44% rise in retail crime it experienced last year was down to “people coming into stores with wheelie bins or a builder’s bag to steal the entire confectionery section or spirits or meat section”. Retailers said a lack of priority by police was also to blame as officers often failed to attend, even when private security staff had apprehended someone with stolen goods. Major retailers have also been accused of fuelling the rise in crime by cutting back the number of staff in stores, including on security, to keep costs down. They have also turned to self-service checkouts and self-scanning devices which are more open to abuse. However, the BRC said retailers had spent £1.8bn on measures to combat crime including CCTV, additional security guards, anti-theft devices and body-worn cameras, up from £1.2bn the previous year. [...] Operation Pegasus, under which 15 large retailers began working with the police under the last government to help tackle organised retail crime, partly by sharing CCTV images, has also had some success but was set up only to deal with activity that crossed police boundaries. [...]

I spoke to the NZ Herald this week about the issue of retail crime, because it's something I care passionately about. I started my career in retail, and it's taught me many skills that have enabled me to get where I am today. Retailers see the highs and lows of our communities and it teaches those that work there how to relate with the full spectrum of society. But our behaviour towards service industries has changed as of late and its not getting better.   Retail staff should enjoy going to work, and not be scared about the customers they may have to deal with. I've heard from many other businesses that they are facing similar issues, as retail crime escalates. Retail crime isn’t just armed hold ups and theft, it’s any time a customer is abusive towards another person whether that’s verbal or physical – so I want to raise it up as a conversation worth talking about.    Two things can be true at one time, One NZ might have done something that annoys you, but equally the person who you’re talking to is just trying to do a good job and serve you.    I spoke about this issue for three main reasons:   1. We often see customers get angry when we ask for ID. We want customers to understand that when we ask for ID, it’s because we need to check you are who you say you are, as identify fraud is a concerning source of crime.   2. Generally, we’re seeing more customer angst, which is likely due to challenging economic conditions. We want to remind New Zealanders that our strength is in our people, and please be considerate of each other.   3. Retail is a great career and it’s worth fighting for. We think retail offers amazing career opportunities and I want everyone working in these jobs to feel safe at work. Retail stores are also an incredibly important way for us to support our customers, as a complement to online channels.   We all have a role to play in ensuring Aotearoa is a great place to live and work, which is why I’ve spoken out about the experiences we’re facing at One New Zealand, and the additional proactive security measures we’re putting in place.   https://lnkd.in/gzC8jZa8

The British Retail Consortium reports that we've reached more than 2,000 retail crime incidents a day in their Annual Crime Survey. “Almost half of the retail workers we’ve surveyed told us they currently fear for their safety and nearly two thirds are stressed and anxious going to work due to this unacceptable level of retail crime. People are contacting our helpline in their thousands to report horrifying incidents of abuse and violence and many say that they are now at breaking point. “Retailers are taking the threat to their staff’s physical safety extremely seriously and more and more of them are working with the Retail Trust to reduce the terrible toll it is having on their people’s mental wellbeing. But stronger measures are clearly needed to prevent this criminal behaviour from happening in the first place.” - words by Chris Brook-Carter in The Independent. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eWJSNsZ7 #retailnews #retailers #retailindustry #retai #retailtrust #wellbeing #retailcrime

The British Retail Consortium report confirms what we’ve been hearing from businesses for some time—shoplifting and retail crime continue to rise - putting livelihoods and people at risk. But in places where businesses, police, and stakeholders work together, we’re seeing real progress. Through our work locally with retailers we’ve seen firsthand the impact these crimes have on businesses and their staff. Theft isn’t just about financial loss; it’s often linked to organised crime and too frequently comes with threats and violence, which is never acceptable. In #London, we are working together for better reporting, a targeted police response and robust intelligence sharing, and these efforts are making a difference. Hannah Wadey CEO said “Through our work locally with retailers and police, we’ve seen how targeted action can make a change. In areas where we come together, we’re seeing positive results—more reporting, stronger responses, and a clear message that crime won’t be tolerated”. The Safer Business Network team will continue to encourage our members to report these crimes. With increased reporting we can continue to build a true picture of the problem and secure the action needed to tackle it. For more information about our services and training click here https://lnkd.in/dpZNNtyy #RetailCrime #Shoplifting #ShopworkerSafety #SaferBusiness #ZeroTolerance Adam Ratcliffe Rachelle O'Sullivan Mohammed Qazi Taylor Jade Mann Balazs Csanadi Patrick Holdaway Professor Emmeline Taylor PhD Darren Watson Helen Clayton BA (Hons) Michael Pearce GCGI MBCI National Association of Business Crime Partnerships Ltd NBCS - National Business Crime Solution National Business Crime Centre Business Crime Hub, Metropolitan Police Metropolitan Police City of London Police Association of Convenience Stores British BIDs https://lnkd.in/eqAVsS6J

Celebrating a win for California’s retail safety. Proposition 36 passed! 🎉 Proposition 36 rolls back parts of the controversial Proposition 47. Proposition 47, passed in 2014, was ironically called the “Safer Streets” proposition, even though it was designed to reduce jail overcrowding. It was meant to reverse historic tough-on-crime policies and divert money spent on incarceration to rehabilitation. The crime reform was well-intended but had unintended side effects for organized retail crime prevention. The proposition raised the felony threshold for prosecuting shoplifters to $950. Anyone caught for shoplifting under $950 would be cited with a ticket and released. It wasn’t a strong disincentive for repeat offenders. Ultimately, Prop 47 fueled a surge in commercial burglary (smash & grab) and shoplifting. It’s no surprise that 70.4% of voters approved the new proposition.. Under the new Proposition 36, people found guilty of shoplifting will now be more likely to face felony charges that were previously classified. Shoplifting under $950 is now punishable by up to three years if the offender has “two or more past convictions for certain theft crimes. It also increases potential punishment and jail sentences based on the total amount of goods stolen from prior incidents. Finally, it lengthens felony sentences by up to three years if at least three people jointly commit a theft or property crime or there is property damage. Congrats to all my ORC and LP friends who oversee stores in California! 

💫 ARA & NRA Retail Crime Symposium 24 🌟 I have seen aggression & theft in the retail industry on the news and social media, including the devastating Bondi attack and more recently knife wielding teens at Bayside IGAs and masked thieves at Myer Southland in Melbourne, but I really did not appreciate how widespread and serious this issue has become. Yesterday I attended the #RetailCrimeSymposium, with Amy Towers, where an impressive line-up of speakers told us: 💲 Retail crime costs Australian businesses up to $9 billion each year (noting this is heavily under-reported). We were told theft from retail stores is the highest it has ever been, and more aggressive than ever. 🙍♂️ People aged 14 to 17 years had the highest rate of involvement with NSW Police for retail theft (after accounting for population). 🚔 We cannot arrest our way out of this issue - young people who are sent to prison emerge and re-offend. 🌄 We heard from Veteran Mentors, which offers youth military programs designed to assist children, aged 12-17, to become accountable for their behaviours and decisions. ❓ Why has retail crime increased? Many reasons - cost of living, family violence, low parental supervision, limited school engagement, mental health issues which are exacerbated by social media & the glamorisation attached to offending (with offenders uploading to social media). 👮♀ Victoria Police spoke about their resources re preventing shop theft: https://lnkd.in/gVhSWutg 👩💻 Tech solutions - Duress® spoke about safety devices - rings, watches and other devices - with live sound and video, that can be used by staff to discourage and/or respond to incidents. 🛍 More than 80% of retail workers will encounter customer aggression, with incidents of a sexual nature having increased, and the most at-risk workers are young workers, women and managers / supervisors. ⚖ Premier Jacinta Allan spoke about proposed laws in Victoria to protect customer-facing workers in retail, and other industries, from assault and abuse. This follows other states which have introduced offences for assaulting retail workers. Thanks to Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and National Retail Association, and all the speakers!

With Audio Description! Retail and community crime detection partnership Catch a Thief Leeds, in association with Catch a Thief UK, has released a CCTV video appeal regarding a suspected theft at a family-run store in Roundhay, Leeds who has been targeted on a large number of occasions. A lone female suspect entered the independent family-run Nisa store in Roundhay, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom. She approached a store assistant and enquired if the store stocked coal for a barbecue, explaining that she had been unable to find any elsewhere. The store assistant directed her to the coal, scanned the item to provide the price, and handed it to her. The suspect then stated she needed buns and began casually strolling around the store. While browsing for buns, the female suspect decided to collect additional items, including meat from the fridge and seasoning from the shelves to flavour her barbecue supplies. After eventually finding the buns, she proceeded to leave the store without making any payment for the goods. Catch a Thief Leeds and Catch a Thief UK regularly issue public appeals to aid in the detection and prevention of crime. If you are a retailer or a member of the public and wish to make a public appeal regarding a crime you’ve experienced, you can contact us via our main website at Catch a Thief UK. We also offer a range of security solutions and cutting-edge technologies to help detect and prevent crime in homes and businesses. Retail crime is not a victimless offence. It leads to price increases on everyday goods, causes employees to lose their jobs, and forces stores to close their doors, depriving communities of essential services. In the UK, more than 500 retail and security personnel are assaulted or abused daily while serving the public. Crime in our communities affects everyone. At Catch a Thief UK, our mission is to disrupt, detect, and prevent crime while helping to bring those responsible to justice. If you have any information regarding this suspect, you can report it directly to Catch a Thief Leeds using reference number: LN210524. For more details, to view the full video appeal, or to explore our range of crime-fighting technologies and solutions, visit our website at: www.catchathief.co.uk. To watch the full video appeal and multiple other appeals for the same store you will find them via Catch a Thief UK. You will also find hundreds of news stories regarding retail crime and the violence and abuse retailers are facing on a daily basis. Since 2014 we have been camping for a robust approach towards shoplifting and retail violence. Since 2014 we have witnessed the rise in retail crime and have publicly reported on it bringing the very latest news and solutions to help retailers in this current crisis. If you are into crime prevention and would like to partner with us, maybe you have a new security solution you would like to promote via our platforms contact me at any time. #retail #security #partnership

As the UK’s National Property Register, Immobilise plays a crucial role in the recovery of lost and stolen phones. 🛡️ Greater Manchester Police are asking people to register mobiles before heading for a night out through their initiative ‘Operation Reunite’. This simple preventative measure helps police forces across the UK return recovered phones with their rightful owners. Help protect your phone in three easy steps: 🛡️ ✅ Register Your Device - Visit Immobilise.com to create an account and add details of your device, such as its IMEI number. ✅ Keep Records Updated - Changed or upgraded your phone? Ensure your Immobilise account always reflects the latest information. ✅ Report Loss or Theft - If your phone is lost or stolen, update your Immobilise record immediately to aid quick recovery. If you’re heading out this festive season - register your phone before you leave home and support the fight against mobile theft! 📱 #StolenPhone #PhoneTheft #UKPolice #CrimePrevention #ImmobiliseCrime #ProtectYourPhone #MobileSecurity #StopThefts://https://lnkd.in/ejQD9_Cx

How Shoplifting Became an Epidemic in the UK Today I saw a young woman passing from section to section in a biig store, grabbing clothes, underwear, and avoiding the fitting room. She was wandering inside the shop for at least 30 minutes, hands full, and apparently not worried about the surveillance. At some point, she simply ran! And was caught immediately. This made me think about all nonsense of this situation, and find out that it is an epidemic in the UK. In 2023, according to the Crime Report provided by the Association of Convenience Stores, the number of similar cases reached to 1.1 million incidents. In 2024, local shops reported a staggering 5.6 million incidents of shop theft. A record. over the last year. The British Retail Consortium also conducted an annual survey. In 2023 , were nearly 1 billion lost to customer theft. In 2024, shoplifters caused in the first months, 2 billion pounds in financial impact. The retail industry had to invest in technologies and strategies to prevent the crime. Security staff alert with surveillance devices but… they cannot do much. The rule is: protect staff and merchandise. The government decided to make tougher penalties for serial and abusive shoplifters, as such as up to 6 months in prison, fines, and bans from returning to the scene of their crimes. Assaulting a retail worker is now a standalone criminal offense. The causes for this epidemic vary from psychological issues to bad behaviour and financial struggle. But they still burning the electronic security devices, shifting pieces inside the store or simply grabbing and running. And what happened to the young woman that I saw shoplift today? She dropped the clothes on the street while she ran away. Will she try it again?