An M&S store hosted Labour MP Angela Rayner yesterday to share how crime intelligence gathering is helping staff feel safer.
Rayner visited M&S’s Ashton Moss store to hear how working with the crime intelligence and reporting platform Auror had contributed to a 40% reduction in incidents of violence and aggression.
Her store visit came as M&S CEO Stuart Machin and retail director Thinus Keeve wrote to the home secretary and the mayor of London calling for urgent action to tackle retail crime.
Writing in The Telegraph, Keeve said retail crime was “getting worse, not better”.
“We need a stronger, faster and more consistent police response, using tools that already exist to target repeat offenders and crime hotspots,” he said.
“And we need far greater transparency on crime so the true scale and impact is understood and can be used to target resources.”
He said he had written to mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Machin had written to home secretary Shabana Mahmood calling for “exactly this”.
“It’s a clear ask: support our police,” said Keeve. “Help them show up in our communities when and where we need them.
“Give them the resources they need to tackle crime effectively and ensure they work with retailers to consistently use the tools we’ve developed to share data and help them actively target offenders.”
Footage emerged earlier this week of a large group of young people causing a disturbance and attempting to access shops on Clapham High Street, including M&S.
Rayner said: “Shopworkers should never have to go to work fearing for their safety, yet far too many are facing violence, abuse and intimidation on a daily basis.
“That’s why it’s so important we support practical solutions that help police and retailers work together more effectively to tackle crime and bring repeat offenders to justice.”
M&S store manager Sarah Hofstetter said: “Working in partnership with the police, other retailers and Auror makes a massive difference to our ability to prevent crime and knowing that we have the support of this technology helps our colleagues and customers feel safer in stores.”
New Zealand-based Auror keeps records of potential crimes in stores and collaborates with police on enforcement. The software platform helps retailers and police connect repeat offenders and organised crime groups to what might otherwise be thought of as one-off offences. Along with M&S, Auror’s UK customers include Morrisons, Home Bargains and Holland & Barrett.
Rayner added: “By using technology to identify patterns, target the most harmful individuals and share information quickly, we can make our high streets safer for workers, businesses and communities alike.
“This kind of partnership working is exactly what we need to crack down on organised retail crime and ensure offenders are held accountable.”
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