SECURITY guards have been punched, kicked and spat at amid an “epidemic” of shoplifting in Colchester, a meeting heard.
Michelle Reynolds, of Colchester Business Against Crime, said a female shop worker was recently knocked to the floor by a criminal.
She told a meeting of Colchester Council’s crime and disorder committee the city centre’s Public Space Protection Order is “failing”.
Ms Reynolds said: “There seems to be an epidemic of shoplifting nationally, not just in Colchester.
“Our members suffer losses every day, some unchallenged, some challenged.
“We’ve had security guards for stores knocked to floors; they’ve been assaulted by way of punching, kicking and spitting.
“We’ve had a female member of staff knocked to the floor because she tried to stop a shoplifter.”
The business leader said last Wednesday a 50-strong group of teenagers caused trouble in the city, an increase of the “usual” size group of ten to 14.
“Some of these youths have criminal behaviour warnings against them and they’re still continuing to go unchallenged,” she added.
“We have thefts without goods recovered, we have thefts with goods recovered.
“Known bike thieves are being monitored up and down the town and they’re just stealing to order.
“We have thefts from all sorts of stores, we have food, nappies baby products.”
She continued: “We have a Public Space Protection Order in place to stop aggressive begging and open vessel drinking – that seems to be failing.
“I know the city wardens do their best but there aren’t many of those.”
The concerns come following a series of robberies and assaults in Colchester city centre over the summer.
The Gazette revealed how between May 30 and June 4 there was a spree of attacks, including one person being surrounded by a group at the bus station and robbed of his luxury watch.
Another victim was punched in the face after refusing to hand over his phone in Vineyard Street.
Responding to Ms Reynolds, the committee chairman Darius Laws said: “Shoplifting is an appalling crime. It affects people’s livelihoods, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.”
Police chief: 'We actively hunt shoplifters'
Police officers “actively hunt” known shoplifters targeting shops across Colchester, the city’s district commander said.
Chief Insp Colin Cox said officers know who the “prolific” offenders are and work with partnership agencies to target them.
He highlighted the prosecution of Scott Butcher who was jailed and banned from every Co-op in Essex after snatching items from several shops in and around Colchester.
“We ensure that when we have someone on our radar who is starting to form a pattern of committing offences we tackle them early,” said Mr Cox.
“We go out there with the city centre team. We actively hunt for them, not just wait to stumble across them.”
The district commander said often it is in shoplifters’ nature to steal as they are “trying to feed a habit”.
He called on Colchester Council to help Essex Police tackle problems by establishing and targeting the root cause.
Mr Cox added: “An individual who does repeated shoplifting, who is prolific is generally someone who might be begging for money.
“It is in their nature to steal because they don’t have any means coming in from another source and they are trying to feed a habit.”
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