Fed President Hetal Patel Speaks with Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner

The National President of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) and Berkshire Retailer, Hetal Patel, spoke with his Thames Valley police and crime commissioner, Matthew Barber, on Thursday, 14 May to discuss the challenge of retail crime facing small independent retail businesses, including Fed members.

Also included Anne Bingham, the Fed’s director of communications.

Mr. Barber also updated the Fed team on Thames Valley’s work on his wider retail crime strategy, which he said would deliver fifty three more neighbourhood police officers this year. Mr. Barber praised the adoption of the DISC reporting tool, which was useful in some parts of the Thames Valley Police area.

He also spoke about Operation Purchase, the Force’s operational response to retail crime, which includes increasing the visible police and PCSO response to retail crime incidents, especially those involving violence and harassment against staff.

During the meeting Mr. Patel and Barber discussed their common interest in closing down illicit high street rogue traders selling unregulated and untaxed goods, like black market tobacco. Mr. Barber explained that this played a key role in fuelling organised crime and undermined legitimate retail and Mr. Patel expressed his concern that Fed members were being tarred with the same brush, despite playing by the rules.

Mr. Patel explained the Fed’s engagement with central Government, including meeting with the Crime and Policing Minister, Sarah Jones MP, where the Fed had called on Government to provide greater resourcing and a more strategic focus for trading standards teams to support small retailers and police in tackling this problem.

Mr. Barber said he had also raised the issue with the Minister in correspondence. The Fed team also spoke about the importance of issuing effective closure orders to ensure that retailers could not simply reopen after committing illegal acts as well as the Fed’s wish for those found guilty of illegal trade to lose access to lucrative commercial relationships.

Mr. Patel said: “It was a useful and productive meeting and I was particularly pleased to raise my concerns about the continued problem of illegal trade on the High Street which undermines responsible retailers like Fed members.”

“Thank you to Hetal and the Fed team for their input. I look forward to working with the Fed in the months ahead to ensure we continue to do what we can to tackle the scourge of theft, harassment and rogue trade impacting our high streets and communities.”