A study by Usdaw, the union representing shop workers, also found that one in five retail employees faced violent assaults in the past year. This troubling trend has not spared Dorchester, where local businesses have reported similar incidents.
Despite an 8% increase in attacks on retail workers since 2022, fewer than one in ten robbery cases result in the apprehension of the perpetrator. According to The Times, nearly half of the investigations into business robberies concluded without identifying a suspect.
Robbery, distinct from burglary, involves the use of force or threats during the act of stealing. New statistics indicate that criminals are increasingly targeting businesses rather than private homes, with personal property robberies showing only a slight 1% rise.
In Dorchester and beyond, shoplifting offences have surged by 30% over the past year, reaching the highest levels in two decades. Police forces in England and Wales recorded nearly 444,000 incidents in the year ending March 2024, up from 342,428 the previous year, marking the highest number since records began in 2003, according to the ONS.
Understanding Robbery and Burglary
Robbery and burglary are different crimes that vary in intent, location, and the use of violence or threats. Burglary involves unauthorized entry into a property with the intent to commit a crime, while robbery involves direct confrontation and the use of force or threats against a victim. Robberies can occur anywhere and are defined by the interaction with the victim, whereas burglaries are limited to unauthorized entry into a building or part of a property.
Recently, a series of crimes targeted food businesses during the festive season. For example, Michelin-star chef Tommy Banks suffered a loss of £25,000 worth of mince pies due to theft.
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson criticized the Tory government’s policies, calling them a ‘shoplifter’s charter,’ and emphasized the need to protect businesses, especially during the festive season. “This Labour government will introduce 13,000 additional neighborhood police officers as part of our plan for change,” she told The Times. “We will tackle retail crime and the assault on shop workers, scrapping the Tory shoplifters’ charter. Our government is committed to creating safer streets, safer communities, and a safer Britain, and we have a plan to achieve that.”
Furthermore, the government has pledged to address robberies targeting businesses by making it a distinct offence to assault retail workers. The Labour government is expected to introduce the Policing in Crime Bill next spring, which aims to crack down on shoplifting and eliminate the rule that thefts of goods worth less than £200 are automatically considered a summary offence.
