Rachel Morgan reports on the proposed Sentencing Bill introduced by Northern Ireland's Justice Minister Naomi Long, aimed at protecting shop workers from abuse and assaults. The bill seeks to establish a specific offence for assaulting retail staff, who often face verbal abuse and physical threats in their daily work.
Helen Edwards, a shop worker and representative for the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW), has spoken out about the impact on morale and self-esteem. She described feeling like a "second-class citizen" due to the constant threat of abuse from customers, which she says is not only distressing but also has serious consequences for her mental health.
The bill proposes stronger maximum penalties for such assaults, including a statutory aggravator that explicitly recognises the victim's role in delivering a public service. Neil Johnston, director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC), believes this will empower businesses to take more decisive action against perpetrators and hopes it will lead to increased convictions and deterrent examples.
While existing laws allow for prosecution, the Department of Justice (DoJ) spokesperson stated that the new legislation was prompted by increasing concerns about assaults on public-facing workers. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) already works with the DoJ and the Policing Board to provide £4.25 million annually to support community safety initiatives.
Businesses are also taking proactive measures, including joining the Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) initiative, which provides an app for flagging incidents and receiving crime alerts. However, some business leaders have highlighted the need for improved police response times, with Damien Corr of the Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District suggesting that bolstering police resources is essential to restoring confidence.