Fed’s call for better protection for shopworkers makes media headlines
Scottish editions of both the Mail on Sunday and the Sun have highlighted our calls for the UK and Scottish governments to help to provide besieged shop workers with more sophisticated security equipment as instances of shoplifting rise.
Both papers advised that the Fed’s Scottish president Hussan Lal had written to Scotland’s justice secretary Angela Constance expressing the ‘extreme concern’ of independent retailers over the apparent epidemic of shop crime and the level of resources Police Scotland has to deal with this.
Recent figures from Police Scotland indicated that shoplifting was up by 21 per cent in the year to June. However, Mr Lal, a former policeman, added: “We very much believe this is an underestimate. Our members, like others in retail, commonly do not report crimes as police may not come for days, if at all. Additionally, reporting a crime can result in a wait of up to an hour on the 101 call service.”
Urging the Scottish government to consider financial support to provide better security in small shops, Mr Lal wrote: “Panic buttons and body cameras would help prevent crime and offer anxious shopworkers some sense of security.”
The Fed’s call for better security measures for smaller shops forms part of our Safe, Secure, Supported campaign. Hundreds of people have already signed a petition calling for government help.
Members’ concerns have also been aired on BBC Breakfast, Sky News, Radio 5 and across a host of national and regional newspapers too.
Sign Our PetitionRead the article in Mail on Sunday Scotland coverage 24.9.23
Read the article in Sun Scotland coverage 25.9.23
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