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<\/div>\nTesco workers are being offered body cameras following an increase in violent attacks, according to the grocer\u2019s CEO.<\/p>\n
Physical assaults at the grocery giant have risen by a third since 2022, Ken Murphy said in The Mail on Sunday, as he called for stricter laws for the perpetrators.<\/p>\n
Although recent law changes have made attacking a shop employee an \u201caggravating factor\u201d in convictions, Murphy said he wanted \u201cabuse or violence towards retail workers\u201d to become an offence.<\/p>\n
Subscribe to Retail Gazette for free<\/strong><\/h5>\nSign up\u00a0here\u00a0to g<\/span>et the latest news straight into your inbox each morning<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nThe supermarket boss said: \u201cCrime is a scourge on society, and an insult to shoppers and retail workers. It is time we put an end to it\u201d.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) revealed abuse against retail workers had nearly doubled that of pre-Covid levels.<\/p>\n
The supermarket is now rolling out body-worn cameras to deter offenders. Back in 2020, the Co-op rolled out the technology to hundreds of stores.<\/p>\n
Murphy said Tesco had also invested \u00a344m in security measures such as door access systems, protection screens and digital radios over the last four years.<\/p>\n
However, Murphy urged for change in how shop crime is dealt with by the authorities.<\/p>\n
As well as stricter laws, he said businesses should be informed on how cases are proceeding when someone is charged for committing a crime in store as this would help retailers to \u201cspot patterns and provide reassurance that justice is being done\u201d.<\/p>\n
Murphy also called for better links between police forces and businesses as he claimed that gangs take advantage of the fact that little information was shared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll only be able to stop these thugs if we work together,\u201d he wrote in the newspaper.<\/p>\n
The supermarket boss said: \u201cCrime is a scourge on society, and an insult to shoppers and retail workers. It is time we put an end to it\u201d.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) revealed abuse against retail workers had nearly doubled that of pre-Covid levels.<\/p>\n
The supermarket is now rolling out body-worn cameras to deter offenders. Back in 2020, the Co-op rolled out the technology to hundreds of stores.<\/p>\n
Murphy said Tesco had also invested \u00a344m in security measures such as door access systems, protection screens and digital radios over the last four years.<\/p>\n
However, Murphy urged for change in how shop crime is dealt with by the authorities.<\/p>\n
As well as stricter laws, he said businesses should be informed on how cases are proceeding when someone is charged for committing a crime in store as this would help retailers to \u201cspot patterns and provide reassurance that justice is being done\u201d.<\/p>\n
Murphy also called for better links between police forces and businesses as he claimed that gangs take advantage of the fact that little information was shared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll only be able to stop these thugs if we work together,\u201d he wrote in the newspaper.<\/p>\n