Business crime

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 British Chambers of Commerce 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 experienced at least one incident of crime in the last 12 months
81 per cent felt that crime against business is a problem in their local area
24 per cent of firms experienced damage to vehicles; 20 per cent said they had experienced vandalism and graffiti; and 19 per cent had been 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) experienced crime in the last 12 months when compared to those based elsewhere

68 per cent 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

Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group: Regional Position on Crime Against Business (Crime Against Business Survey 2008)