A report from the Federation of Small Businesses reveals 58% of SMEs are hit by a variety of crimes, but less than half are reported as small business owners believe the police ‘would not be able to find the criminals’.
‘There is a perception amongst business owners that the UK is experiencing a crime epidemic and that no-one cares,’ comments David Croucher, FSB Crime Spokesman. ‘Sentences are lower for commercial burglaries than domestic burglaries, and criminal damage and theft from commercial premises have effectively been de-criminalised.
‘Businesses can help themselves by reporting crime so that the police can build up a more accurate picture, he concludes. ‘But ultimately ministers must recognise that crime has a devastating impact on small firms generating fear in the workplace, alienating customers, and resulting in a negative knock-on affect in the wider community.’
The FSB is calling for:
- The police to record business crime as a distinct category from domestic crime
- Crime against business to be made a Key Performance Indicator by the Home Office
- Businesses to report all crimes to the police
- A commitment to tackling business crime by the entire criminal justice system. A prison sentence is not suitable for all offences, but the punishment must fit the crime if the judicial system is to retain business confidence
- Sentencing guidelines to be revised to ensure that all crimes of a similar nature are treated equally
- Business owners to be more proactive in securing their assets
- Planning regulations relating to crime prevention measures to be relaxed to allow businesses to protect their premises
- A business crime compensation scheme to be established to prevent otherwise viable businesses closing down
- Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to focus on business crime.
The FSB report ‘Cracking Business Crime’ is available to download from www.fsb.org.uk.
