WIREDGOV

In response to the findings of the 2026 crime report from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), APCC Retail and Business Crime leads, PCCs Katy Bourne OBE and Andy Dunbobbin said:

“The findings set out in the latest BRC report are encouraging and show that collective efforts are starting to deliver results. Early indicators suggest real progress: incidents of violence and abuse against shopworkers have fallen from 2,000 a day to around 1,600. Improved police responses, stronger collaboration and nearly £5.5 billion of sustained investment from retailers over the past five years are all beginning to make a tangible difference.

“While the number of violent or abusive incidents towards shop workers remains far too high, a 20% drop in a year is significant and shows what can be achieved when an issue is tackled seriously.

“The survey cites the increasing role organised crime plays in shop theft and highlights the importance of parties collaborating to tackle retail crime. Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have been central in bringing together major retailers and the police under the Pegasus Partnership, helping to build an intelligence picture of those behind the shoplifting epidemic who operate way beyond police force boundaries. From April, its success will be taken forward by Opal, operational policing’s national intelligence unit which targets serious organised acquisitive crime.

“The Crime and Policing Bill is a substantial way through its legislative journey. It will introduce an offence of assaulting a retail worker, something for which PCCs lobbied hard.

“While it is gratifying to see positive results, there is much more to do to reduce the violence and aggression retail workers face and the financial impact on shop owners. We must collectively keep our foot to the floor so that recent momentum is not lost.”

• Katy Bourne OBE is PCC for Sussex
• Andy Dunbobbin is PCC for North Wales
• The BRC Crime Report 2026 can be found here