Stephen Morgan MP has expressed his concern following the release of police recorded crime statistics for England and Wales showing that in the 12 months leading up to December 2022 there was a 23% increase in shoplifting.
The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) further revealed their annual survey of 7,500 shopworkers found that 31% of incidents of violence, threats and abuse related to shoplifting in 2022, which is not only higher than in 2019 but also more than double the 2016 level.
Portsmouth unfortunately has not been immune to this trend, with a wave of thefts along shopping streets across the city already this year.
The cost-of-living crisis has been highlighted as a key factor contributing to the recent rise in shoplifting, with food prices 9% higher than they were one year ago.
Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary, noted that shoplifting is not a victimless crime, wherein theft from shops has long been a major flashpoint for violence and abuse against shop workers.
Mr Morgan expressed his support for shopworkers in Portsmouth, who are the primary victims of this crime. Having to deal with repeated and persistent shoplifters can cause issues beyond the theft itself like anxiety, fear and in some cases physical harm to retail workers.
Commenting on the statistics, City MP Stephen Morgan said:
“Shop and retail workers both here in Portsmouth and across the country are the backbone of local communities. They deserve to serve our community without fear or concern about their safety.
The cost-of-living crisis is pushing desperate people into further desperate situations, and Government inaction is putting shopworkers at risk.
That’s why I’m calling on the Government to understand the scale of the crisis and will continue to take action to make shops safe places to work and for customers to shop”.
Mr Morgan will continue standing up for shop workers in Portsmouth, listening to community concerns, working closely with Portsmouth traders and local police, and raising issues on the floor of Parliament with Ministers.
He recently hosted a meeting of local traders on Albert Road to hear their concerns with the police present. A number of actions have seen been taken to tackle the issues faced in our city including a number of prosecutions.
