The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has cautiously welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement this week on plans to put "thousands of Bobbies back on the Beat" with a new neighbourhood policing guarantee.
"We cautiously welcome the Prime Minister's recognition that shoplifting and antisocial behaviour have 'wreaked havoc on our neighbourhoods' and his plan to address this through visible policing," said Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre. "The announcement of named local officers and guaranteed patrols are positive measures that address our members' concerns.
"However, the timeline for recruiting 13,000 more officers by 2029 remains far too slow when independent retailers are suffering from an epidemic of retail crime right now.
"Our recent research indicates a deeply concerning trend in retail crime, with the majority of independent retailers experiencing theft in the past 12 months. Even more worrying is that most report the situation has deteriorated compared to last year, with theft incidents increasingly occurring during opening hours, showing growing boldness from offenders.
"The Prime Minister's commitment to ending the 'postcode lottery' of policing resonates with our members, who report vastly different experiences across regions. Some areas receive excellent police support while others see virtually none. However, this disparity needs addressing now, not by 2029.
"While Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's statement that 'too many communities have been feeling abandoned as crime soared and neighbourhood police disappeared' accurately reflects our members' experiences, we remain concerned about funding. Without proper resources, these promises of increased neighbourhood policing risk becoming empty words," he said.
Mr Goodacre added: "The government's focus on putting 'prevention back at the heart of policing' is the right approach, but independent retailers cannot wait four years for protection. They need 'bobbies on the beat' in their communities now. The Retail Crime Plan was launched in September 2023, and after 18 months it is hard to see much difference at shop level."
Bira responds to Prime Minister's 'Bobbies on Beat' plan
Image from South Yorkshire Police
Image from South Yorkshire Police
By Andy MarinoApr 11, 2025
Andy Marino
Andy was born in London just in time to see England win the World Cup, and much later began his career in academia, gaining a PhD in American Literature and lecturing at several universities, including Maryland and Gothenburg in Sweden, and pursuing a sideline in sheep-farming before moving back to London and becoming a literary agent and TV documentary-maker (working for various broadcasters and making series such as the BBC’s Monsoon Railway, set in Bengal).
He has written several biographies, including the Second World War story American Pimpernel, and became the official biographer of India’s Prime Minister (then Chief Minister of Gujarat) publishing Narendra Modi, a Political Biography (Harper Collins).
Andy joined Asian Media Group in 2018, his first “proper” job, and has been there ever since, believing that, while trade journalism might not save the world, it might just save journalism.