Following a summit looking at retail crime, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matt Storey has established the Cleveland Retail Crime Forum.
The forum brings together representatives from local business, policing, criminal justice and community safety. It meets on a quarterly basis to respond to the challenges posed by retail crime. The forum is endorsed by the North-East Chamber of Commerce.
Among the topics discussed are how to keep retail workers safe and the operational and financial impacts of crime.
Previous agenda items have included:
- Consultation by Cleveland Police on their retail crime strategy;
- Victim support for employees – and how to access it;
- Details of local authority summer activities, asking for feedback on how retailers felt plans would clamp down on additional retail crime and antisocial behaviour during school holidays;
- How retailers can produce more powerful business impact statements to inform sentencing;
- North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) advising on emerging fraud risks – and how retailers can protect themselves from them.
Meetings are chaired by PCC Matt Storey and Andrea Thornborrow. Andrea is a manager at Primark, Middlesbrough, and has a wealth of retail experience.
This is in order to maintain balance in the partnership between the criminal justice and business sectors.
The Retail Crime Forum’s next meeting takes place on Thursday 3 December at 10.30am in Redcar.
The forum is always looking for more members from retail to build a stronger collective voice for the sector.
To express an interest in becoming a member, please email [email protected]