- High Streets UK warns that, without urgent reform, current systems cannot deliver on Government ambitions to tackle high street crime.
- The group has published a four-point policy proposal, including ringfenced policing for flagship destinations; criminal justice reform; a coordinated crackdown on international organised crime; and national framework for business crime reporting.
- High Streets UK is a pro-growth, nationwide partnership of flagship high streets, representing 5,000+ businesses, contributing £50 billion in GVA annually.
- The Safer High Streets Forum is the second quarterly meeting since the group’s launch, building on its work to shape government policy and unlock growth.
London, 5th June 2025 –Following this week’s Safer High Streets Forum in London, High Streets UK has set out a four-point policy proposal to urgently tackle prolific offending, business crime, anti-social behaviour, and organised criminal activity taking place on the UK’s flagship high streets.
Recent Government commitments on retail crime – including reprioritising shoplifting and making assaulting a retail worker a standalone offence – are welcome acknowledgements of unprecedented levels of loss from customer theft, which have soared to £2 billion,1 and escalating violence against shop staff.
However, High Streets UK warns that criminal justice infrastructure, police funding and strategic prioritisation of other crime categories must be urgently reviewed if the crime plaguing our high streets is to be meaningfully and holistically tackled.
The group’s key recommendations include:
- Ringfenced policing uplift in and around flagship high streets;
- Developing a clear plan for criminal justice system reform, including strengthened provisions around Criminal Behaviour Orders;
- A coordinated, nationwide multi-agency approach to tackling organised crime;
- Pilot a standardised, nationwide framework for businesses to report crime.
Carolyn Brownell, Executive Director at FOR Cardiff stated that:
“FOR Cardiff delivers the Cardiff Against Business Crime (CABC) partnership and works closely with local stake holders including South Wales Police to address crime in the city centre. These are national issues faced by cities up and down the country and, if adopted, the policy recommendations set out by High Streets UK would provide real support to address the roots of these problems. These policies would support high streets and help to keep retail workers safe, in Cardiff and across the UK.”
The second High Streets UK Forum builds on the group’s previous work to shape government policy on business rates reform, with calls for urgent reform to protect physical high street locations from disproportionate tax burdens. It also forms part of High Streets UK’s broader mission to unlock the growth potential of flagship high streets and ensure they are socially inclusive, welcoming and resilient.