The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) agrees with Home Secretary Priti Patel’s comments that the police response to crime at wholesale premises is “not good enough”.
During a recent visit to Costco, in Chingford, Mrs Patel told food and drink wholesale representatives that the police must do more to protect shop owners and their stock from criminals who target them on cash and carry premises.
She said:
I grew up in the retail world and I’ve seen the effect of having your stock stolen. Theft of high-value products like tobacco can decimate a business. They can destroy cash flow, and the goodwill of the business as well.
The police have to do more. They have to come down to wholesale outlets and work with wholesalers to make sure gangs are absolutely not preying on their customers.
It’s important not only that we highlight the whole issue of wholesale crime, but actually that we work with police to ensure they work with wholesalers and retailers to stop this level of crime taking place.
Mrs Patel said she will be telling borough commanders:
It’s not good enough and we need police action. If they don’t so something about it, they will answer to me.”
NFRN National President Stuart Reddish said:
This is just another strand of crime, along with shoplifting and the increasing number of verbal and physical attacks, that independent retailers have to contend with on a daily basis.
We have been lobbying the government for years to take retail crime more seriously and clamp down on offenders by introducing stricter laws and tougher sentencing.
We welcome Mrs Patel’s comments and hope that she puts her words into practice.
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