A video capturing colleagues’ experiences of crime has been shared with Members of Parliament across the south in Southern Co-op’s latest appeal for their support.

Southern Co-op is now asking its colleagues, members and customers to follow suit as part of its latest action in tackling crime from every angle – causes, prevention, reporting and justice.

The video was emailed to 79 MPs last week asking them to support a Private Members Bill which aims to provide greater protection for retail colleagues.

The video, which can be viewed below, includes first hand testimonials from colleagues who have been a victim of crime as well as CCTV images which highlight the severity of the issue.

Colleagues, members and customers are now being asked to write to their own MPs backing Southern Co-op’s campaign. An optional template can be found below.

The request comes ahead of the Private Members Bill, Assaults on Retail Workers, having its second reading on Friday 25 September [delayed until Friday 30 October]. The Bill calls upon the Government to create a new offence which would carry higher penalties for those that abuse or attack shop workers when they are trying to enforce the law on age-restricted sales.

Colleagues, members and customers are also being encouraged to sign a petition to develop legislation creating a specific offence for abusing, threatening or assaulting a retail worker.

The petition, Protect Retail Workers from Abuse, Threats and Violence, can be found here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/328621.

Southern Co-op has already joined CEOs from major British retailers and the sector’s leading industry bodies in writing to the Prime Minister to ask him to provide effective legal protection for shop workers in the face of increasing levels of abuse and violence.

Mark Smith, Chief Executive for Southern Co-op which operates over 200 stores in 11 counties across the south, said: “If we all play our part and we all work together then we can stop this wave of violence which has been getting worse over the last few years. Our stores have faced relentless crime which we aren’t able to tackle alone. We need politicians, police and the rest of society to remember these crimes are not victimless and affect real people.”

To read about Southern Co-op’s work with charities tackling the causes of crime, visit www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/100000-granted-to-programmes-tackling-causes-of-crime/.

To find the local MP and contact details, visit https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP.

TEMPLATE EMAIL

Dear [ENTER MP NAME],

I would like to add my support to Southern Co-op’s campaign to secure more appropriate sentencing for crime against retail colleagues.

As one of your local residents and constituents, I’m asking you to please support the Private Members Bill, Assaults on Retail Workers, which is having its second reading on Friday 25 September #SaferColleaguesSaferCommunities.

Yours faithfully,
[ENTER NAME].