NEWS
CRIME CENTRAL ENGLAND CO-OP
Central England Co-op repeats call for better protection for shopworkers
C
Call comes after several colleagues are injured during a violent incident.
entral England New research has shown that, in the past 12 months, Co-op has reaffirmed its zero-tolincidents of verbal abuse erance crime campaign and is jumped by 167%, anti-social calling for better protection behaviour by 39%, assaults for shopworkers after some of by 35%, and threats by 16% its staff were attacked during a compared to 2019. violent incident in Erdington, The retailer also revealed Birmingham, last Wednesday that 312 crimes related (11 Aug) afternoon. directly to Covid-19 have The shaken store workers been recorded in stores since involved received minor injuthe start of the pandemic. ries during the incident and are Central England Co-op supporting police with their has rolled out a range of difinvestigation. crime aimed at our colleagues and ferent measures including security assisCraig Goldie, Loss Prevention Mancustomers.” tance buttons and using tracking devices ager, said: “We strongly condemn any The retailer had asked customers to in more products to deter would-be “be kind” as part of a campaign durthieves. The Erdington store was also form of abuse or violence towards our colleagues and are offering our full suping the Covid-19 pandemic encourpart of a trial of body cameras for staff. port to the entire team at the Marsh aging them to treat shop colleagues In addition, the retailer has been Lane store. We are working closely with with respect and to repeat the Co-op’s working with other major retailers, the local police force to bring the crimlong-term message to would-be crimunions, industry bodies, police and inals responsible to justice. crime commissioners and more than inals that “it is not worth the risk” to “These types of incidents rein200 MPs to push the government to target them. force our ongoing camcrackdown further on those paign calling for better New research has shown that, in the past 12 who abuse or attack shopprotection for shopworkers months, incidents of verbal abuse jumped by workers via the introduction and highlights our zero-tol167%, anti-social behaviour by 39%, assaults by of tougher penalties such as 35%, and threats by 16% compared to 2019. erance policy on all types of an automatic prison term.
WEDNESDAY 18TH AUGUST 2021 / ISSUE 69 / SLRMAG.CO.UK / 17
