The Security Industry Federation has highlighted concerns over the current approach to retail security in the UK, citing increasing levels of shop theft, violence and inconsistent operating practices across the sector.
The organisation says frontline security personnel are often placed in conflicting positions, expected to deter theft and protect staff and customers while also working under policies that restrict physical intervention, detention of suspects, or efforts to prevent offenders from leaving premises.
Recent public remarks from some supermarket representatives suggesting the possible use of batons or incapacitant sprays have further added to the ongoing debate around appropriate security responses in retail environments.
Daniel Garnham, General Secretary of the Security Industry Federation, said:
“The current situation is completely unsustainable. Security workers across the UK are being sent mixed messages every day. In many workplaces they are told not to touch offenders, not to intervene and not to do the very things the public assume they are there to do. Yet when retailers face rising losses, some of the same voices begin calling for officers to be armed. That is not a serious or responsible answer.
Arming security workers without the necessary legal framework, training standards, employer support and regulatory clarity would be reckless. It would increase risk, not reduce it.
What we actually need is a joined up national approach. At present there is no clear and consistent standard between the Security Industry Authority, security employers, retail clients and the wider criminal justice system. Officers working across different retailers can be subject to completely different expectations from one site to the next. In one store they may be expected to observe only. In another they may be expected to detain. In another they may face disciplinary action for intervening at all.
That is unfair on workers, unsafe for the public and wholly inadequate for an industry that plays a major role in protecting people and property every day.
The Security Industry Federation is now writing to supermarkets across the United Kingdom to propose a joined up approach and to ensure clear instructions are in place across the board. Security workers cannot continue operating under a patchwork of conflicting site rules, employer policies and client expectations while carrying all of the personal and professional risk.
Until that happens, our message to security workers in retail settings is clear. Watch, report and be an expert witness for the police. Do not put yourselves in harm’s way for those who will not support you afterwards. We know that goes against the instincts and principles of many good security professionals, but someone else’s stock is not more important than your safety, your livelihood or your licence.
The Security Industry Federation is calling for clear national guidance on lawful intervention, stronger and more realistic training, proper support for workers who act in good faith, and an end to policies that leave security officers exposed to violence while offering little protection when they are forced to make difficult decisions.
Security workers deserve clarity, consistency and backing. They should not be left to navigate a patchwork of conflicting policies while facing assault, disciplinary action or licence consequences for trying to do their job.”
The organisation says the discussion around retail crime needs to move beyond short-term responses and focus on longer-term structural issues affecting both safety and standards in the sector.