Why Tackling High Street Crime Matters

Safer high streets don’t just protect businesses, they revive communities.
When people feel secure, they stay somewhere longer, spend more and return more often. They also speak about their positive experience to others prompting more visits.
Fewer incidents means lower insurance premiums, stock loss is kept to a minimum and more energy can be spent creating better experiences for shoppers.

MPW works directly with shopping centres, local councils, and regeneration projects to build strategic, community-led approaches that reduce crime and boost confidence.

How Communities Are Fighting Back

Across the UK, a pattern is emerging in towns that are winning the fight against retail crime:

• Partnerships that work: When police, councils, and businesses collaborate, problems are solved faster.

• Visible safety: Better lighting, CCTV, and patrols make shoppers feel secure.

• Community design: Clean, welcoming spaces discourage crime and attract footfall.

• Smart technology: Tools like Facewatch, forensic tagging, and AI-linked CCTV are turning prevention into progress.

Each of these steps proves one thing, the future of the high street depends on how safe people feel walking it.

FAQs: Common Questions About High Street Crime

What are the main causes of high street crime?
Rising costs of living, lack of policing resources, and organised theft groups are major contributors. But poor town design and empty shops can also create the perception that a place is unsafe.

Is shoplifting really increasing?
Yes, national data shows shoplifting is at a 20-year high, but targeted policing and new security technology are helping to reverse the trend in many areas.

What can local businesses do?
Simple measures like staff training, visible CCTV, and joining local business watch schemes can make a big impact. Working with police and community partnerships also helps track repeat offenders.

Can design reduce crime?
Absolutely. Good lighting, active shopfronts, and clear sightlines can deter antisocial behaviour — a principle known as “Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).”

MPW Experience:

With over 17 years’ experience working in and on shopping centres across towns and cities throughout the UK, Founder Medi has dealt first-hand with a wide range of challenges, from low-level shoplifting to serious, high-impact incidents requiring immediate, coordinated responses.

Whether the problem lies within a city centre or a local high street, the same core principles and practical actions often apply.

Key Principles and Actions

1.      Partnership Working is Essential: Tackling real problems and achieving measurable results relies on effective partnership working. Collaboration ensures that complex issues are approached holistically, rather than in isolation.

2.      Get the Right People Around the Table: To deliver a coordinated and impactful approach, it is vital to involve the right stakeholders, ideally face-to-face rather than virtually. This should include the local MP, Police and Crime Commissioner, Town or City Council representatives, Council Leaders, BIDs, Town Centre Managers, Shopping Centre Managers, major investors, large retailers, housing associations, and of course, the local Police Force.

3.      Develop an Action Plan That Delivers Immediately: Build on each stakeholder’s strengths and agree on actions that can be implemented quickly. Accountability should be shared, everyone has a role to play in creating safer, stronger, and more vibrant communities.

4.      Appoint Clear Leadership: One stakeholder or representative should take the lead in coordinating meetings and maintaining consistency, ensuring the plan remains active and outcome-focused.

5.      Maintain Regular Communication: Monthly meetings and consistent communication are critical to sustaining momentum, monitoring progress, and adapting to emerging issues.

From Planning to Impact

Once these foundations are established, the agreed deliverables can be implemented to create real impact through a multi-agency approach.

Complementary actions such as conducting high street safety audits, introducing meanwhile uses in vacant units, and maintaining an active events calendar all help to deter crime, reduce anti-social behaviour, and foster a welcoming, investable, and safe environment for both businesses and visitors.

The Future Is Positive

There’s no doubt the numbers are tough, but there’s more to the story than statistics.
High streets are proving resilient. From Manchester’s collaborative policing to Oxford’s community approach, towns across the UK are showing that crime can be tackled and confidence can be rebuilt.

Partnership working is key, with an action plan to deliver.