New national guidance launched to strengthen fight against retail crime and protect high street workers
NABCP launches practical guidance to help retailers and Business Crime Reduction Partnerships work together to tackle crime and create safer high streets
The National Association of Business Crime Partnerships (NABCP) has launched new guidance aimed at strengthening collaboration between retailers, police and local Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (BCRPs) to help tackle retail crime and improve safety on Britain’s high streets.
The new guide, Working with your BCRP: Roles and Responsibilities in Retail Settings, has been developed as part of the Target High Harm Places initiative, in partnership with the National Business Crime Centre and Tackling Retail Crime Together.
It provides practical advice for retail employees at every level, from shop floor colleagues and security officers to store managers and senior leadership teams, setting out the steps they can take to prevent crime, share intelligence and work more effectively with local crime reduction partnerships.
At its heart is a simple message: tackling retail crime requires a joined-up approach, with everyone understanding their role and taking responsibility for keeping staff, customers and communities safe.
The guidance encourages retailers to build stronger relationships with their local BCRPs and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), make effective use of intelligence-sharing systems and radio networks, report suspicious activity promptly and work closely with police and other local agencies.
It also highlights the importance of leadership, urging area managers to identify their highest-harm stores and ensure they receive targeted support through local partnerships.
Key recommendations include:
- Stronger local partnerships: Encouraging all stores to engage proactively with their local BCRP, police, BID and other community safety partners.
- Faster intelligence sharing: Promoting the daily use of radio networks and intelligence-sharing platforms to help identify repeat offenders and emerging crime trends.
- Clear responsibilities: Providing role-specific guidance for shop floor colleagues, security officers, store managers and area managers.
- Targeted action in high-harm locations: Encouraging retail leaders to identify their most affected stores and work with local partnerships to coordinate additional support.
- Prioritising staff safety: Reinforcing the importance of protecting employees, particularly those working alone or in reduced-staffing environments.
The guidance also emphasises the need for retailers to report incidents consistently, provide evidence such as CCTV promptly when requested by police, and follow appropriate data protection and information-sharing procedures.
Sophie Jordan at the NABCP, said: “Retail crime is not something that any one business, police force or organisation can tackle alone. Effective partnerships are essential if we are to protect retail workers, disrupt repeat offending and make our high streets safer.
“Business Crime Reduction Partnerships play a vital role in bringing retailers, police and other local agencies together, but these partnerships are most effective when everyone is actively engaged and understands what is expected of them.
“This guidance is about turning that collaboration into practical, everyday action. Whether you’re working on the shop floor, managing a store or overseeing a national retail estate, there are clear steps you can take to help prevent crime and support your local partnership.
“One of the most important messages is that information needs to be shared quickly and appropriately. The sooner suspicious activity and offending patterns are identified, the sooner partners can take action.
“Ultimately, we want to see retailers making full use of the support available through their local BCRPs, creating a more coordinated response to retail crime and helping to build safer high streets for everyone.”
The guide also addresses the particular challenges faced by lone workers and stores operating with reduced staffing levels, reinforcing that personal safety must always come first. Employees are advised to observe, record and report suspicious behaviour rather than put themselves at risk by intervening.
The NABCP hopes the guidance will help retailers embed stronger partnership working into their everyday operations, ensuring intelligence is shared effectively, repeat offending is addressed and the locations experiencing the greatest levels of harm receive the support they need.
The Working with your BCRP guidance is available through the NABCP.
For further information, visit www.nabcp.com or email info@nabcp.co.uk.
