Iceland boss Richard Walker slams MP Julia Lopez as she tells struggling retailers to tackle shoplifters with AI
Richard Walker, Executive Chair at Iceland, has hit out at a cabinet minister after she advised under pressure retailers in her constituency to use AI to tackle shoplifters.
Julia Lopez is the Conservative MP for Hornchurch and Upminster, and currently holds the government posts of Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology), and Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport).
Her party has been in power in the UK for the past 14 years, with many Brits struggling amid a cost-of-living-crisis.
In a note to retailers, she praised them for investing resources and money in training staff in stores and for implementing changes which improve crime prevention while still allowing for good customer service.
However, she added: “We ask that you constantly review these measures and reduce the opportunities for offenders to target you by thinking about how and where your valuable stock is displayed and secured.”
This includes asking if their CCTV system is appropriate. Does it, for instance, boast AI capability to identify potential harmful individuals entering stores?
Walker, a former Tory donor who recently switched his support to Labour, fumed on X (aka Twitter): “Tone-deaf digital Minister tells crime-plagued stores in her constituency to use AI to tackle shoplifters.”
“Monumentally patronising. 14 years of under investment in policing is the real cause.”
“This is a crisis that demands action now”
Violence and abuse against retail workers soared last year, with the British Retail Consortium’s latest crime survey revealing that the number of incidents rose to 1,300 per day in 2022/23 from almost 870 per day the year before.
This rise comes despite retailers investing heavily in crime prevention, spending £1.2 billion on measures such as CCTV, increased security personnel, and body worn cameras, up from £722 million the previous year.
The cost of theft to retailers went up to £1.8 billion from £953 million the previous year, meaning the total cost of crime to retailers stood at £3.3 billion – double the previous year.
The BRC’s annual crime survey highlights the scale of violence and abuse faced by people working in retail. Incidents, which include racial abuse, sexual harassment, physical assault, and threats with weapons, are now on a par with the levels seen during the pandemic, when staff bore the brunt of some people’s frustration with Covid safety measures.
While the total number of incidents climbed, dissatisfaction with the police increased, with 60% of respondents describing the police response to incidents as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the BRC, says: “With over 1,300 incidents every day, government can no longer ignore the plight of ordinary, hardworking retail colleagues.”
“Teenagers taking on their first job, carers looking for part-time work, parents working around childcare. And while the violence can be over in a moment, the victims carry these experiences with them for a lifetime.”
“And we all know the impact does not stop there – it affects their colleagues, friends, and the family our colleagues go home to. This is a crisis that demands action now.”
“Criminals are being given a free pass to steal goods and to abuse and assault retail colleagues. No one should have to go to work fearing for their safety.”
“The Protection of Workers Act in Scotland already provides additional protection to retail workers, so why should our hardworking colleagues south of the border be offered less protection? It is vital that government takes action – introducing a new standalone offence for assaulting or abusing a retail worker.”
Katy Bourne, Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner and APCC Lead for Business Crime, comments: “The levels of retail crime described in this report reveal an unprecedented level of selfish lawlessness.”
“Every day, retail staff are facing the consequences of shoplifters’ brazen behaviour and that’s why I have supported the call for a specific offence of assault on a shopworker.”
“Our courts need to work more efficiently, and shoplifters need to be deterred from re-offending. That’s why I’m calling for my fellow Police & Crime Commissioners to focus their police forces on tackling shoplifting by making it a priority in their local Police & Crime Plans."
Continue reading…