Labour candidate for Norwich North, Alice Macdonald, has expressed her concerns about the rise in shoplifting cases in the city. Speaking at a Co-op store in Chartwell Road in Sprowston, Macdonald highlighted the impact of retail crime on both the safety of workers and the overall community. She called for the government to take action in order to keep the streets safe and protect shop workers. Macdonald also supported a call from the Union for Retailers (USDAW) for better protection for all shop workers, including stronger action against the abuse of shop workers and improved sentencing.
The rise in shoplifting cases in Norwich has led to concerns amongst retail workers and independent shop owners. The Co-op in Sprowston Road was recently forced to put olive oil bottles under lock and key due to a series of thefts. Independent shops across the city have warned that Norwich is at risk of turning into the “wild west” if the police fail to take more decisive action against shoplifting. Reports have emerged that retail staff are being provided with body cameras to help combat this rise in crime.
Nationally, the Co-op group has witnessed more than 1,000 cases per day of shoplifting, assaults, and antisocial behaviour in the last six months ending in June. Norfolk police has defended its record, claiming to have the highest detection rate of any constabulary in the country. A police spokesperson emphasized that their priority is catching criminals responsible for committing crimes. However, Adam Waudby, head of retail operations at Central Co-op, stressed the need for the police to prioritize these crimes and improve their response to incidents. He highlighted the lasting impact of these incidents on colleagues, members, and customers, while expressing commitment to working with the government and local law enforcement to bring about meaningful change.
In response to the rising cases of shoplifting and retail crime in Norwich, the Labour candidate for Norwich North, Alice Macdonald, has called for action from the government. Speaking at a Co-op store in Chartwell Road in Sprowston, Macdonald expressed her concern about the impact of retail crime on worker safety. She stressed that no one should feel unsafe while going to work and urged the government to act to keep the streets safe and protect shop workers. Macdonald also supported the call from the Union for Retailers (USDAW) for better protection for all shop workers, including stronger action against abuse and improved sentencing.
The rise in shoplifting cases in Norwich has led to warnings from independent shops that the city is at risk of becoming the “wild west” if the police fail to tackle the issue. The Co-op in Sprowston Road was forced to put olive oil bottles under lock and key following a series of thefts. Retail staff are reportedly being provided with body cameras to combat the rise in crime. Nationally, the Co-op group has experienced over 1,000 cases per day of shoplifting, assaults, and anti-social behavior in the last six months. Norfolk police have defended their record, stating that they have the highest detection rate out of all constabularies in the country. However, Adam Waudby, head of retail operations at Central Co-op, emphasized the need for the police to prioritize these crimes and improve their response.
The Labour party’s focus on tackling retail crime includes stronger action against the abuse of shop workers and improved sentencing. Macdonald stated that Labour would also restore neighborhood policing and town centre patrols by adding 13,000 more officers and police community support officers. The Co-op group has been working to protect its staff by investing in measures to ensure their safety. However, they also stressed the importance of the police prioritizing these crimes and improving their response. They highlighted the lasting impact of such incidents on their colleagues, members, and customers and expressed commitment to working with the government and local law enforcement to bring about change.
