- High Streets UK warns that, without urgent reform, current systems cannot deliver on Government ambitions to tackle high street crime.
- The group has published a four-point policy proposal, including ringfenced policing for flagship destinations; criminal justice reform; a coordinated crackdown on international organised crime; and national framework for business crime reporting.
- High Streets UK is a pro-growth, nationwide partnership of flagship high streets, representing 5,000+ businesses, contributing £50 billion in GVA annually.
- The Safer High Streets Forum is the second quarterly meeting since the group’s launch, building on its work to shape government policy and unlock growth
Following this week’s Safer High Streets Forum in London, High Streets UK has set out a four-point policy proposal to urgently tackle prolific offending, business crime, anti-social behaviour, and organised criminal activity taking place on the UK’s flagship high streets.
Recent Government commitments on retail crime – including reprioritising shoplifting and making assaulting a retail worker a standalone offence – are welcome acknowledgements of unprecedented levels of loss from customer theft, which have soared to £2 billion,1 and escalating violence against shop staff.
However, High Streets UK warns that criminal justice infrastructure, police funding and strategic prioritisation of other crime categories must be urgently reviewed if the crime plaguing our high streets is to be meaningfully and holistically tackled.
The group’s key recommendations include:
- Ringfenced policing uplift in and around flagship high streets;
- Developing a clear plan for criminal justice system reform, including strengthened provisions around Criminal Behaviour Orders;
- A coordinated, nationwide multi-agency approach to tackling organised crime;
- Pilot a standardised, nationwide framework for businesses to report crime.
Dee Corsi, Chair of High Streets UK and Chief Executive of founding member, New West End Company, said: “Flagship high streets are engines of the local and national economy, drivers of tourism, and anchors for communities. But without urgent national action on crime, they are at serious risk.
“We have welcomed the Government’s renewed focus on retail crime in particular. But we must go further and faster to tackle all types of crime affecting high streets, having a devastating effect on businesses and communities, tarnishing the UK’s global reputation, and jeopardising tourism and investment.
“At our Safer High Streets Forum, we shared our frontline experience of the international criminal gangs, business crime, prolific offenders and anti-social behaviour affecting our high streets – none of which can be meaningfully tackled with the current systems and resources in place.
“Together, we have set out a clear, practical blueprint for change. It’s now time to focus on delivery.”
The second High Streets UK Forum builds on the group’s previous work to shape government policy on business rates reform, with calls for urgent reform to protect physical high street locations from disproportionate tax burdens. It also forms part of High Streets UK’s broader mission to unlock the growth potential of flagship high streets and ensure they are socially inclusive, welcoming and resilient.