C-Store Champions: Get a clear view on crime

What are the most common offences that you encounter?

Ralph: We don’t encounter a huge amount of high level crime because we are in a village, so usually get the same customers coming in every day. The main problem is when we have to refuse a tobacco or alcohol sale. That’s when things can escalate and the customer will either run out with the product or get aggressive if we challenge them. Another recurring problem is ATM robbery. We were targeted earlier this year when thieves reversed into the front of store. You can imagine the damage it caused. We were fortunate that we were insured by The Retail Mutual. They contacted us about the incident and there was no problems with the payout. The incident happened at midnight and there were loads of people watching - someone even took a video - but the police still didn’t respond.

David: We have a garage site, a village store and a high street store, and crime varies in each. The main issue at our forecourt store is when we refuse a sale, which is usually the main cause of violence or abuse towards staff. We also get a lot of drive-offs, where people don’t pay for their fuel. I think the reason those incidents are going up is because people just can’t afford the fuel they need for work. In our other stores it’s more a case of general shoplifting. We try to keep all the high-value items in one area where we can keep an eye on them. The crime that hurts the most is staff crime and I’ve had a few incidents over the years.

Barry: Shoplifting is the major one for us, which is why I make sure we have enough staff on in the evening and early morning. It becomes more of an issue when it gets violent and confrontational. We had an incident three months ago when a guy was shoplifting in the store and became angry when we asked him to stop. He then tried to destroy the shop and damaged lots of products and shelving. It was a real shock for customers and staff.

Mo: The most common offence we face is shoplifting. Ever since minimum unit pricing kicked in we’ve seen a rise in the number of alcohol-related thefts. Because there are fewer cheap ciders and spirits for people to buy, they are turning to crime instead. I would say these types of offences have gone up at least 30-40% in our stores.

How do these crimes affect you, your staff and business?

Ralph: These type of incidents make people not want to come to work. It’s not good for anyone, especially when the police don’t take retail crime seriously. It’s sad when you have the Police Crime Commissioners openly saying that they won’t investigate crimes below £200. Criminals know that they can target independents, which makes us retailers even more frustrated.

David: We’ve been quite lucky as we don’t have to deal with too much organised crime. Generally, staff don’t suffer too much and we always tell them not to get involved and keep an eye out on the CCTV rather than take any physical action. We always remind staff that their well-being is more important than anything. Our forecourt is part of the Shell group so we get a lot of support from them in terms of making sure that we are prepared for all scenarios.

Barry: Crime comes at a cost for staff emotionally, as well as adding to our recruitment costs. We’ve had two staff leave because of confrontations with shoplifters. The main thing we tell them is to not get into a conflict and make sure that customers are safe.

Mo: The worst problem is that staff take time off with stress and we have to cover that cost. The recruiting of staff is also harder than it used to be because the good staff don’t want to work in the retail sector where there is a risk of crime.

Do you report every incident to the authorities?

Ralph: I know lots of retailers who don’t bother reporting crime because they don’t see the point. I do try to report crime, but all you get from the police is a crime reporting number and then someone calls to say that they aren’t taking the investigation further. Some people are put off reporting crime because their premiums go up.

David: If we have a drive-off then I always report it, even though that has to be done online now and takes a lot of time. However, we’re also aware that people can be put into difficult situations and we can see if someone is desperate and not a prolific criminal. I don’t want to play judge, but quite often it is up to me to decide whether someone is a true criminal, or has been forced into stealing products. Quite often they are local so the staff will keep an eye on them and I’ll take them to one side next time they come in and explain to them the seriousness of what they are doing. We don’t want to lose a customer because of a crime and actually it could turn round the other way where we earn their trust. You just have to be switched on about these things and deal with every situation individually so, no, I don’t report every incident.

Barry: About two years ago we stopped reporting most crimes to the police, the reason being that it has got to the stage where you are sent a letter that you have to fill in and know that it won’t be investigated. We can give them CCTV footage and even tell them the address of the person who committed the crime - usually it’s a local person - so it’s frustrating when you know it’s not going to go anywhere.

Mo: We make a point of reporting most crimes. Even if it feels like something isn’t worth reporting, it all goes on the record and builds up until police have to take action. We’re not going to change anything if we don’t report crime. Of course, it doesn’t work for every retailer, and it’s different for every police force, but even if it goes nowhere eventually there will have to be a breakthrough.

How do you train staff to deal with criminal activity or threatening behaviour?

Ralph: We have always said to staff that if someone comes into the store and starts threatening people and trying to steal then they should just let them have it. It’s not worth putting someone in danger to try to save a bottle of wine or some packs of cigarettes. We want to try to make sure the situation doesn’t turn violent. Staff safety is of paramount importance.

David: A couple of times a year we work through all our fire safety and health and safety measures, which includes all things to do with crime. We act out a number of different scenarios using the Shell ‘Get Home Safe’ guidelines. We want to make sure that every member of staff is prepared and familiar with a situation should it arise. You’re never going to be totally prepared but, for me, it’s all about minimising the risk to my team.

Barry: We hold monthly meetings with staff that includes preparing them for any crime. We want to make sure that they are able to react to a situation in the correct way. I know from speaking to my managers that they have seen an increase in incidents so that makes the training even more important.

Mo: As part of our staff inductions, all members are trained to deal with crime and are able to follow our security procedures. We also have a code word that everyone knows and is sent across the store tannoy when an incident is in progress. It works well because staff can react in a calm manner.

What is the worst incident you have encountered recently?

Ralph: The ATM incident earlier this year is the worst crime we have suffered in recent times.

David: Touch wood, we’ve never had any really big incident, but drive-offs do happen on occasion.

Barry: The worst incident happened about six months ago when a man came in and took two bottles of alcohol from behind the counter. He kicked up a fuss when we tried to challenge him and he threw one of the store’s weighing scales at a female member of staff. The rest of the team got sworn at and verbally abused. We reported the incident to the police but are still waiting for a response. I gave the female member of staff a week’s leave on full pay so that she could come to terms with the incident.

Mo: We had one where an elderly man was caught stealing. What was scary was how matter of fact he was when he said if we wouldn’t let him steal from our stores then he would go somewhere else. We also had a lady, who looked like she was under the influence of drugs, who stole from the food bin at the back of the store. She started eating the food and bringing it into the front of the shop. My concern was liability, because if anything happened to her we would have to deal with the effect on our reputation.

Do you think the local police and other agencies are supportive when it comes to business crime?

Ralph: Police say they are stretched with resources, but I don’t buy that they haven’t got the manpower when we have the best traffic police in the world. I can guarantee that if you reported an accident on the road there would be five panda cars there within minutes.

David: I think everyone is stretched. The police have moved everything online because they don’t have the people to deal with it in person, which makes retailers feel like they are not being heard and that crimes aren’t being properly investigated.

Barry: The police don’t seem to want to deal with crime in our stores. We have community police, but they have no powers. It’s becoming a real problem because we don’t know if these people coming into the store have knives or another weapon.

Mo: I don’t think police are very supportive. It’s sad and means the issue is getting worse for retailers and staff.