Crime Against Business
Crime against business is not a victimless crime. It affects not only the employer and employees
who depend on the business for their livelihood, but also the consumer in terms of the increased
costs that are inevitably passed on as a result of crime. In addition, crime against business can have
damaging consequences for local communities and disadvantaged areas in particular, by acting as a
barrier to business growth.
The BCC released its 2008 business crime survey The Invisible Crime on 9th April 2008 highlighting
the £12.6 billion annual cost of crimes against business.
The key findings from the report are:
- 59 per cent of businesses have experienced at least one incident of crime in the last 12 months;
- 81 per cent feel that crime against business is a problem in their local area;
- 24 per cent of firms have experienced damage to vehicles, whilst 20 per cent said they had
experienced vandalism and graffiti, with 19 per cent being burgled;
- Greater proportions of businesses based in industrial estates/areas (73 per cent), shopping
parades (70 per cent) and out of town locations
- (70 per cent) have experienced crime in the last 12 months when compared to those based
elsewhere;
- 68 per cent of businesses said they would not report relatively small crimes or damage to
premises or property to the police;
- 68 per cent of businesses do not feel confident that the Police are dealing with issues that are
most important to them.