Collaborative partnership working co-ordinated by NBCS Connect, results in one of the most prolific offenders in Sussex being taken off the streets where they pose no threat to store colleagues for a considerable amount of time.
Prolific offender Christopher Young of Worthing, Sussex had been a priority target for our members and partners for quite some time and came onto our radar in August 2022. By September 2022 he had racked up 13 shoplifting offences. As the offences intensified, it was time to build a strong case. Many of the offences were theft of alcohol and the occasional food items, but what made this criminal behaviour increasingly ominous, was his verbal abuse towards members of staff. His confidence increased after each offence, making it instinctive for him to hurl a plethora of cruelty at anyone who tried to stop him. Multiple reports had been made against the offender by our members, and after further investigation Young’s tally of offences racked up to over 40 incidents against only two member stores. The intelligence was fed through to the NBCS by members and was distributed to Police, allowing a collaborative effort to build a tactical strategy with our partners to get the justice that was well overdue. As the investigation progressed, he struck again and in November he was charged with six offences and was remanded in custody.
Perseverance conquered and with a full investigation submission of 46 offences, we received good news that this subject had finally been arrested and charged, resulting in a 48-month imprisonment sentence and an 8 year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO). Thanks to the hard work and tenacity of the NBCS Team, Police and our members, this offender won’t be heard from for a long time! Young is just one of thousands of persistent, prolific offenders across the UK targeting stores and negatively impacting the lives of store colleagues.
According to the BRC Crime Survey 2022, incidents of violence and abuse soared to 1,301 per day in 2020-2021, which is more than double from the previous year. This survey also highlighted that over 15% of the workforce suffered some form of harassment. Is your business being targeted by individuals like Christopher Young? If so, NBCS Connect – Direct could help. This type of collaborative approach has been proven to drastically reduce risk against businesses and its people.
Why not contact the NBCS at enquiries@nationalbusinesscrimesolution.com to find out more.
