On The Road with the NBCC Team in October 2026

The last few weeks have been a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when policing, retailers and partners come together with a shared purpose. Across the country, conversations are becoming action, ideas are becoming delivery, and collaboration continues to drive real progress in tackling retail crime and the harm it causes to businesses, staff, and the wider communities.

Earlier this month, Titus joined ACC Alex Goss, NPCC Retail Crime Lead, at the Policing Minister's Retail Crime Forum, where they provided an update to Rt Hon Sarah Jones MP on the significant progress being made across the UK. It was an opportunity to showcase the collective effort taking place nationally, including the growing number of offenders being brought to justice and the continued momentum behind the Tackling Retail Crime Together Strategy. What is particularly encouraging is the breadth of activity now underway. The strategy has grown into more than 30 separate workstreams across its seven strands, with partners from across policing, retail, government, and the business community all playing their part. The forum also heard about the ongoing development of the national digital crime reporting platform, a project with the potential to transform how retailers report crime. By creating a more consistent and streamlined approach, it aims to reduce bureaucracy, improve the experience for businesses and help policing make even better use of information and intelligence.

Staying connected with retailers and local partnerships remains a key priority for the NBCC. Throughout the month, team members attended a range of regional meetings, including the North West Business Crime Reduction Partnership meeting, the Thames Valley Strategic Retail Crime Forum and the Kent Business Crime Reduction Meeting. These engagements are invaluable. They allow us to share progress, understand the challenges being felt on the ground and, most importantly, learn from the innovative work already taking place within local communities.

The team has also been engaging with wider audiences to help shape the national conversation around retail crime. Titus recently took part in panel discussions at the Policy Foresight High Street Organised Crime Conference and the Financial Times Future of Retail Summit 2026. These events highlighted a message that continues to resonate across the sector: enforcement matters, but lasting success comes from prevention, partnership and tackling the issues that sit behind offending. The strongest solutions are often those developed together.

That spirit of partnership was clearly on display during Operation Zoridon, a Metropolitan Police operation targeting the handling and sale of suspected stolen goods across London. Members of the NBCC team played an active role in supporting the operation. Dave led visits to a number of car boot sales, sharing his specialist knowledge to assist officers in identifying stolen property and, just as importantly, helping develop local capability so officers can confidently undertake similar activity in the future. Meanwhile, Titus briefed retailers and partners in the Metropolitan Police Special Operations Room, helping ensure information, intelligence and operational activity were connected throughout the operation. It was a great example of how sharing expertise can enhance both immediate outcomes and future resilience.

Alongside enforcement activity, the team continues to explore approaches that focus on prevention and early intervention. As part of this work, Rachael visited Tesco in Pitsea, Basildon, to see first-hand the innovative diversion initiatives being delivered locally. Rather than viewing every incident solely through a criminal justice lens, the approach seeks opportunities to understand vulnerability, provide support and reduce repeat offending. It is exactly the kind of forward-thinking work that demonstrates how retailers can play an important role in creating safer communities while supporting those who may be at risk of entering a cycle of offending.

Looking ahead, excitement is building for Safer Business Action Week 2026. This year promises to be one of the most ambitious yet, bringing together SaBA and three complementary national campaigns focused on reducing retail harm, improving worker safety and creating safer business environments. Behind the scenes, a significant amount of planning and coordination has been taking place, with the NBCC team working closely alongside a wide range of partners to ensure activity is aligned and delivers maximum impact. To support preparations, the team recently hosted a special NBCC Knowledge Series session, bringing together all four campaigns to explain their aims, share opportunities for involvement and help partners prepare for the week ahead. The response was fantastic, with levels of engagement suggesting it may have been the most popular Knowledge Series event so far. That enthusiasm reflects the strength of commitment that exists across the sector and the appetite to work together to make a difference.

What stands out most from this month's activity is that progress is not being delivered by any one organisation acting alone. It is being achieved through relationships, trust and a shared determination to prevent crime before it happens, protect people when it does, and support businesses to thrive. The NBCC is proud to be part of that journey. Whether engaging with ministers, supporting local partnerships, assisting operational activity, promoting diversionary approaches or helping coordinate national campaigns, every member of the team continues to play a role in bringing people together, sharing knowledge and driving positive change. We are grateful for the support, challenge and collaboration we receive from retailers and partners across the country and look forward to continuing that work in the months ahead.