GMP welcomes visitors to Retail Crime Symposium as part of commitment to tackling business crime

Greater Manchester Police welcomed a range of visitors from across the retail industry earlier this week as part of the force’s renewed commitment to tackling business crime.

The Retail Crime Symposium, which took place on Monday 15 January, was set up to help forge stronger connections between GMP and the stores and businesses in the communities in which the force serves.

Representatives from various stores attended, alongside guests from the Retailers Against Crime organisation, the National Business Crime Solution, and other retail groups including the Federation of Independent Retailers and Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers.

Numerous officers, including the new dedicated Retail Crime Spocs from across Greater Manchester also attended, to listen to lectures and talks from the different guests, who spoke about the ways they tackle crime in their stores, discussed data sharing, CCTV usage, and problems they have encountered.

The event, which was organised by the crime prevention team, underlines the commitment of policing teams across Greater Manchester to tackle retail crime – from prolific shoplifting to assaults on shopworkers.

Recent positive results include the ongoing successes of Operation Rimini in Stockport (Stockport officers go undercover to tackle shoplifting | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk)) and Leigh’s success in seeing five of their six most prolific shoplifters arrested (Leigh ASB operation cracks down on criminality with engagement and enforcement work | Greater Manchester Police (gmp.police.uk)).

The event was chaired by Superintendent Cara Charlesworth, retail crime lead for the force, who spoke of the importance of local officers working closely with stores to tackle shoplifters.

She said: “As we start 2024, I want to emphasise and reiterate GMP’s commitment to protecting those across our retail and business communities. The abuse that shopworkers face each day is totally unacceptable, and we are committed to better understanding ways in which we can provide support and assistance.

“This year, we will continue to clamp down on shoplifters, looking to arrest and charge where appropriate – which could result in punishments ranging from banning orders to imprisonment. Neighbourhood teams will be working diligently to ensure those who cause problems in our stores, high streets and shopping centres get the clear message that they simply will not be tolerated.

"We will continue working in partnership to tackle underlying causes, developing Greater Manchester’s diversion support offer which aims to deliver longer term behaviour change.”