Young can get creative to help prevent violence towards shop workers
RETAILER Central England Co-op is asking youngsters to get creative during lockdown and produce “Be Kind” posters to help it stop violent and aggressive incidents towards colleagues.
Parents will be able to pick up a poster pack when they next visit a store that children will then be able to bring to life and either display in their front window or give back to their local store to help create a powerful display.
This comes as part of ongoing efforts to encourage people to treat shop colleagues with respect and to repeat the Co-op’s long-term message to would-be criminals that “it is not worth the risk” to target them.
New research has shown that, in the last 12 months, incidents of verbal abuse jumped by 167%, antisocial behaviour by 39%, assaults by 35% and threats by 16% compared to 2019. The retailer also revealed that 312 crimes related directly to Covid-19 have been recorded in stores since the start of the pandemic.
Store manager Jamie Joyce said: “Our Be Kind campaign is extremely important and highlights the need for all of us to work together to ensure colleagues are treated with kindness and respect as they work around the clock to provide food and essentials for our communities. “We thought that by designing a special poster pack it would help us spread the message further as well as giving youngsters something fun and free to do during lockdown.” Recently, the retailer rolled out a range of measures including security assistance buttons and using tracking devices in more products to deter would-be thieves.
The Co-op, which has stores across Burton and South Derbyshire, has also been working with other retailers, unions, industry bodies, police and crime commissioners and more than 200 MPS to push the Government to crack down further on those who abuse or attack shopworkers via the introduction of tougher penalties such as an automatic prison term.
This security crackdown will be supported by several measures already in place in stores including:
■■Centrally monitored CCTV system and increased use of security officers and store detectives;
■■Stringent cash controls;
■■Colleague training on how to deal with situations involving violence or aggression.
A trial is also under way on body cameras for colleagues which, if successful, will be rolled out across all stores
A BURTON neighbourhood now has the worst Covid infection rate in Staffordshire – and another has seen cases double.
Shobnall’s infection rate for the seven days to February 18 – the latest available data – is 418.8 per 100,000 residents.
And in neighbouring Horninglow, cases have risen 100 per cent in that time, with 34 people infected at a rate of 371.5.
Shobnall is the only postcode in the county – and one of only three in the whole West Midlands – with an infection rate above 400.
Across the region, the only higher rates can be found in West Bromwich East and Kenrick Park – 465.3 – and Amblecote and West Stambermill, near Stoubridge – 442.7.
The good news for Shobnall residents is that the latest infection represents a slight drop compared with the previous seven days.
In that time, there has been one less positive case reported – a drop