Violence against shop workers has more than doubled in a year, according to Usdaw’s latest annual survey, as official figures show that shoplifting has risen by over a third. Shoplifting is not a victimless crime; theft from shops has long been a major flashpoint for violence and abuse against shop workers.
By Paddy Lillis, Usdaw on 26 April 2024
Retailers have welcomed a UK government decision to make assaulting a shop worker a standalone criminal offence in England and Wales, but civil liberties groups have criticised plans to ramp up the use of facial recognition technology in town centres to help catch shoplifters.
By Kerry Reals on 10 April 2024
Demands are growing for employers to put more measures in place to protect lone workers and customer-facing staff amid a rising tide of violence and intimidation, according to personal safety charity Suzy Lamplugh Trust and employee safety solutions provider Peoplesafe.
By Kerry Reals on 21 March 2024
Incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers increased by 50 per cent to 1,300 a day in the year to September 2023, compared with the previous year, new figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) have shown.
By Kerry Reals on 14 February 2024
Shoplifting is on the rise, and with it the violence and intimidation of those who work in shops. We investigate whether body-worn cameras are an effective deterrent.
By Belinda Liversedge on 09 January 2024
A specialist police team known as Project Pegasus is to target organised crime gangs who are masters in shoplifting, as violence against shopworkers soars across the UK.
By Belinda Liversedge on 17 November 2023
With Usdaw’s annual survey showing abuse against shopworkers is higher than pre-pandemic levels, it’s vital that government, retail employers, police and the courts work more closely together to make shops safer for staff.
By Paddy Lillis, general secretary of the Usdaw union on 01 May 2023
Utility workers out in the field maintaining our electrical and gas supply networks can be at risk of accidents and aggression from the public, making it vital to have the right technology for raising the alarm and identifying their location.
By Rebecca Pick, Founder and CEO, Pick Protection on 01 May 2023
The Professional Trades Union for Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers (POA) has approved a court’s decision to order a prisoner who assaulted his officer to four years’ extra jail time.
By Belinda Liversedge on 01 July 2019
Smartphone applications are increasingly being used to enable lone workers to raise the alarm in an emergency, and offer many advantages over standalone GPS-based alarm devices.
By Rebecca Pick, Founder and CEO, Pick Protection on 01 May 2022
