Key Points
- The Greater Manchester Police is supporting Safer Business Action Week (SaBA) campaign, which is the annual national campaign that concentrates on retail crime and business safety.
- According to GMP, the districts of Greater Manchester will have various targeted campaigns aimed at addressing retail crime and protecting businesses.
- In most cases, SaBA is characterized by patrol visits to retail locations, discussions with shop owners and employees, crime prevention advice, and dealing with suspected criminals.
- According to GMP, it collaborates with retailers, private security companies, local partners, and special forces during the SaBA action week.
- Prevention remains the key to its strategy, which involves addressing the core issues of shoplifting and directing people to appropriate services.
- It encourages shop owners to get into contact with their respective neighborhood policing team.
Manchester Police (Manchester Mirror) November 10, 2026 — Greater Manchester Police is supporting this year’s Safer Business Action Week, with district teams carrying out activity aimed at tackling retail crime and strengthening support for businesses across the force area.
As reported by Greater Manchester Police, the force said its districts are supporting the national week of action through “a range of targeted activity tackling retail crime” and supporting businesses. The initiative, known as Safer Business Action Week or SaBA, is associated with the National Business Crime Centre and brings police activity together with business and community partners.
What is GMP doing during SaBA Week?
GMP said neighbourhood teams deploy across their areas during SaBA activity to patrol locations where retail crime is more likely to occur, including retail parks and town-centre precincts. Officers also meet local retailers, hold information stalls, promote crime-prevention campaigns and take action against suspects, including people wanted in connection with offences.
The force said the work involves local partners, private security staff, store management and specialist teams within GMP. This partnership approach is intended to improve the sharing of information, support faster responses to incidents and help businesses put preventive measures in place.
Why is retail crime a priority?
Retail crime, including shoplifting, can affect businesses through lost stock, increased security costs, staff safety concerns and disruption to trading. GMP has previously described shoplifting and retail crime as issues it is committed to tackling, while acknowledging the pressures they can place on retailers and shopworkers.
In a previous SaBA Week release, Chief Inspector Cara Charlesworth, GMP’s force lead for retail crime, said stronger relationships between police, partners and stores could make it easier to deal with shoplifting. She said interconnected radios, which allow security staff to contact officers directly, could lead to faster response times and quicker lock-ups.
How does GMP approach prevention?
GMP said prevention remains a key part of its approach, alongside enforcement. The force said it examines why people shoplift and uses available resources to address those causes, including working with substance-misuse and homelessness charities, signposting people to services and linking with local council activity.
The force has also previously highlighted practical crime-prevention measures for retailers, such as improved CCTV and lighting, physical security, risk assessments and staff training. GMP’s crime-prevention team has said such measures can reduce opportunities to offend and increase the risk for offenders.
What are retailers being asked to do?
GMP urged retailers who have experienced problems to contact their local neighbourhood team and report any crimes that occur. The force said local teams can consider how to address issues affecting individual businesses or retail areas.
Businesses can also take part in wider crime-prevention schemes. GMP describes Business Improvement Districts as business-led and funded bodies that represent and improve defined commercial areas, allowing businesses and local authorities to work together on the local trading environment.
Background of the development
Safer Business Action Week is a national week of coordinated activity focused on business and retail crime. In Greater Manchester, previous SaBA activity has included patrols, retailer engagement, arrests, crime-prevention advice and multi-agency work involving police, security staff and local organisations.
GMP’s 2024 SaBA Week release said the force had recorded a significant increase in arrests and solved or positive outcomes, while continuing engagement with business communities through a retail crime steering meeting. The force said that meeting allowed teams to share best practice on tackling retail crime.
In 2023, GMP held a Safer Business Action Day at the Trafford Centre, where officers joined mall security on patrols and spoke with retailers. The force also promoted the #ShopKind campaign, which encourages positive behaviour in shops and raises awareness of violence faced by shopworkers.
Prediction: what it means for businesses
For Greater Manchester retailers, the week is likely to mean greater police visibility in commercial areas, more direct engagement with store staff and a renewed focus on reporting retail crime. Businesses that raise recurring issues with neighbourhood teams may be able to access tailored advice on security, evidence gathering and partnership working.
For shopworkers and shoppers, the activity may lead to more visible patrols in retail parks, town centres and shopping areas during the week. For suspected offenders, GMP has said officers are prepared to make arrests for offences committed during the week as well as for people wanted in connection with earlier crimes.
The wider effect will depend on how consistently districts sustain the work beyond SaBA Week. GMP’s stated approach suggests that the most durable benefits are expected to come from combining enforcement with prevention, retailer engagement and support for people whose offending is linked to wider vulnerabilities.
