Every frontline worker at Tesco will now have the opportunity to use a body camera as a response to the increasing number of violent attacks on staff. The supermarket is witnessing over 200 cases of serious physical assaults on employees every month, contributing to the rising wave of lawlessness and anti-social behavior in the UK. The CEO of Tesco, Ken Murphy, describes the impact on staff as heartbreaking and condemns these assaults as an insult to both shoppers and retail workers.
In a recent article for The Mail on Sunday, Murphy emphasizes the need for legal and policing changes. Currently, officers fail to attend more than two-thirds of serious retail crimes, resulting in an annual loss of nearly £1 billion due to shoplifting. These statements by Murphy coincide with the findings of a major poll conducted by former Tory Party deputy chairman, Lord Ashcroft, which indicates that 72% of voters believe that Britain is in a state of disarray.
Tesco’s commitment to providing body cameras to frontline employees follows similar actions taken by the Co-op and John Lewis, the owner of Waitrose. The number of physical attacks on Tesco staff has increased by one-third compared to the previous year, and theft in the retail sector has doubled over the past six years, costing stores over £950 million in 2022. The British Retail Consortium reports that police rarely respond to incidents when they are reported.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman recently urged the police to pursue all reasonable crime leads, however, law enforcement chiefs stated that they lack the resources to address “minor” incidents. Murphy praises the government’s decision to establish harsher sentences for individuals convicted of assaulting shop workers and appeals to judges to utilize these new powers. He also advocates for the adoption of Scotland’s system, where abuse or violence towards shop staff is considered a specific offense, as a means of deterring and reducing assaults.
Attacks on shop workers have surged during the Covid pandemic, with some customers taking out their frustrations on employees. A recent survey reveals that incidents of violence and abuse against retail workers increased from 450 per day in 2019 to over 850 per day last year. Staff members report being subjected to verbal abuse, racial and sexual insults, physical threats, spitting, and physical violence.
The Co-op, which experienced a 35% increase in retail crime incidents during the first half of 2022, has implemented body cameras and headsets for their frontline staff to ensure they can call for help in case of an attack. This investment in security is part of a £200 million initiative. Tesco CEO Murphy asserts that store owners should have the right to access information regarding the progress of cases against suspects, as crimes are currently logged against the worker, rather than the business. He remarks that effective sharing of information is crucial to combatting criminal gangs and concludes, “We’ll only be able to stop these thugs if we work together.”
The John Lewis Partnership has also equipped its staff with body cameras to address the rising aggression targeted at retail workers. Nicki Juniper, the head of security at John Lewis, states that this increase in aggression is unacceptable, emphasizing that nobody should be subjected to such treatment at their workplace. Paddy Lillis, from the shop workers’ union Usdaw, calls for improved coordination to better protect its members.
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