Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Discusses Retail Crime with The Fed

Cleveland PCC, Matt Storey, met with the Fed on Monday 2nd February 2026 to discuss the impact of shop theft and harassment of retail workers and the local partnership his Police Force’s response to it. Mr. Storey was elected to the role in May 2024 as Labour candidate, serving the Cleveland Police area which includes Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Hartlepool, and Redcar & Cleveland boroughs, an area with about half a million residents. He spoke with Fed National President, Hetal Patel, local Stockton retailer Stephen Tate and the Fed’s Political Engagement Coordinator, Doug Oliver.

During the call, the Fed team spoke about the direct and indirect impacts of stolen items as well as the links to drug and alcohol misuse and sometimes organised crime. Mr. Tate spoke about the need for a strong deterrent to discourage retail crime.
The discussion also touched on the need for a visible police presence, rehabilitation for offenders and the importance Cleveland place on Restorative Justice which allows victims to discuss the impact of crime with perpetrators.

Mr. Storey said: “Tackling business and retail crime cannot be solved by policing alone, and I was pleased to develop our broader partnership approach by speaking with the Fed’s team, and to learn more about the issues from a business perspective as part of my engagement work.

“I welcomed the opportunity to outline our work to respond to the local challenges through my Police and Crime Plan, including our upcoming Business Crime Partnership and I was delighted to extend an invitation to Fed members to support this work.”

The Fed’s Political Engagement Coordinator Doug Oliver said: “It was a very positive meeting with the Police and Crime Commissioner and his team. We spoke about new security tools used by local groups, like the Business Reduction Partnership and BIDs. In addition, we touched on work to tackle organised crime and work at a national level in collaboration with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, the Home Office and other key stakeholders.”