Combating Retail Crime in Sussex

Yesterday, USDAW–the leading union for retail sector workers–ran a joint campaign day with the Labour Party and Co-operative Party, raising awareness of the epidemic of crime currently affecting our high streets and pressing for action.

With almost 1,000 incidents taking place each day last year, it’s clear that shoplifting and the assault of shop workers is now out of control. It doesn’t seem hard to believe that decisions taken by the policy not to respond to the vast majority (71%) of these cases has helped to support the growth of this surge.

Last month, I wrote to the Home Secretary, calling for action and highlighting that Sussex has seen the biggest growth in incidents over the last year, with a 45% increase from 2022 to 2023.

To have so many people facing abuse on a daily basis is utterly unacceptable and the lack of action is a blight on the retail sector at a time when high streets are already fighting for their lives.

Which is why the Labour Party has committed to act where the Conservatives are failing to through:

• Implementing guaranteed high street patrols by the police
• Increasing the number of PCSOs and neighbourhood police officers on the beat by 13,000
• Introducing new legislation directly targeted at addressing retail crime.

It is also worth noting that while councils no longer have any control over the police, that is why you now get to vote for a directly-elected Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, who happens to be up for re-election on the 2nd May. If you feel that policing in our area is great and at the standard that residents deserve, then I’m sure the current Conservative role-holder will be happy with your support.

On the other hand, if you feel appalled by the decline of local policing in our area, then we have the chance to do something about it. The results from every Police Commissioner election in Sussex held so far shows that Labour are the best-placed party to remove the Conservatives from office. If you want to see a turnaround in local policing, then Paul Richards needs your vote on 2nd May.