Johannesburg - The South African Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC), the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, Business Against Crime South Africa, the South African Police Service (Saps), retailers and shopping centre owners and managers have formed an anti-crime collaborative forum to stem the recent spate of shopping centre robberies which have plagued Gauteng.
The forum was established at the conclusion of a meeting between these organisations, the leadership of the Gauteng SAPS and over 230 representatives of shopping centres, security companies and retailers.
“We need to share intelligence to create solutions. The importance given to the issue by Gauteng SAPS senior leadership and industry stakeholders is a step to the right direction. When it comes to stemming and preventing crime, we are all accountable and we’re all responsible," said SACSC CEO Amanda Stops.
"It’s about working together and creating a relationship that is there in good and bad. We all have the responsibility of fostering relations and sharing information to prevent crime and provide a safe shopping environment for consumers.”
“The aim of the forum would be to share all information on shopping centre related crime, no matter how big or small, and to use this as an input to improving prevention and combating responses to the ongoing wave of crimes against the retail industry,” said Dr Graham Wright head of the CGCSA Crime Risk Initiative.
- Fin24