60% of retailers victims of violent crime

THREE out of every five shop owners have been burgled or attacked in the past year, a survey has found.

The increase in violent crimes has led to a call from retailers for greater protection from the gardaí.

ISME chief executive Mark Fielding was speaking after a worker in a store in Limerick was horrifically stabbed in the neck last week.

The vicious attack happened at 11pm on Sunday night week last when a man armed with a kitchen knife threatened the member of staff at a Centra store beside the Southcourt Hotel, Raheen, on the outskirts of the city.

The masked intruder stabbed the shop assistant in the neck and left him lying on the ground while he made off with a sizeable amount of cash, according to gardaí.

It is understood the victim was grabbed from behind while he was locking up the store.

He later received several stitches in Limerick Regional Hospital.

Mr Fielding said the incident is typical of the violent crime shop staff face every day.

"It’s frightening to think that almost one in two Irish small businesses have suffered from crime in the last 12 months,” Mr Fielding told the Retail Intelligence website.

Mr Fielding wants a national strategy drawn up to deal with crimes against small businesses and demanded more gardaí on the streets.

“The famous 2,000 gardaí that were promised by the current Government during its last tenure still haven’t come on the street and there’s still no sign of them,” he said.

Mr Fielding said the lack of garda funding is preventing the force from tackling crime against retailers.

“Less than half of small business owners even know about the existence of the Crime Prevention Office.

“If there were more resources even just to advertise that the office exists things could change,” said Mr Fielding.

“I think they need to be seen on the ground, calling into businesses, but they just don’t have the resources.”