A security company has issued a warning to commuters after a worrying rise in theft and antisocial behaviour at train stations.
Kingdom Security, who provide a range of security measures including security personnel to a wide range of sites across the country are becoming increasingly concerned about a rise in theft at several train stations and are asking regular commuters to remain vigilant.
Shoplifting offences
According to the ONS, England, and Wales reached a new 20-year high with 443,995 shoplifting offences committed in 2023/2024.
The situation is certainly worrying and although commitments were made in July’s Kings Speech, Graham Allison, COO of Kingdom Security, is urging commuters to be vigilant and to make security aware if they see any causes for concern in train station shops.
Campaign against shoplifting and violence
“Kingdom welcomes the government’s commitments to crack down on shoplifting and violence against shop workers. Train station retail workers are under immense pressure, especially during peak commuter hours, and unfortunately, some people rushing to get their train may be tempted to steal rather than wait in line.”
“Nationwide, we are also seeing a rise in the verbal and physical abuse being faced by retail workers, and we fully support Co-op's campaign to make this a standalone criminal offence,” continues Graham. “At train stations, there are fewer staff in store to deal with situations that escalate, so security personnel needs to be trained to deal with these issues and protect shop workers.”
Preventative solutions
Incident Reporting software allows store managers to log the value of goods and the time of day
There are many preventative solutions retailers in train stations can take to better protect themselves. For example, Kingdom Security is rolling out new innovative measures to crack down on shoplifting. Their Incident Reporting software allows store managers to log the value of goods and the time of day these attacks happen through their mobile, to build a clearer image of when theft is most likely to occur, and to identify the high-value items.
These forecasts let management staff prepare and prevent any abuse and theft within their stores, better-protecting team members and the public during especially busy commuter hours.
The public to remain vigilant
Graham emphasises, “The security industry is making huge strides forward, in not only reacting to theft after the fact but creating a basis from which retailers can better prepare for it."
"We are asking the public to remain vigilant, especially during commuter hours when stations are at their busiest, and if you see anything suspicious alert the relevant authorities including the British Transport Police immediately.”