Newbury Business Today

Don’t forget the forgotten fifth

10th July 2008

Email: richard.maynard@newburynews.co.uk

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PCSO Phil Lewis writes his monthly column

It is encouraging to see new faces on the Business Action Group, when I attend every month to help shape and act on the local business security agenda.
Recently, we have been joined by a representative of the Federation of Small Businesses which – exactly as the title suggests – represents many of the small (and sometimes, sole) traders in this area.
The FSB reckons that, across the country, about a fifth of all crimes committed are against business; although, as we know, they are hard to measure or manage, owing to the lack of formal police targets in this area. So I am glad that, in this area at least, we can get together with them to help do something about it.
The BAG, working with my other police colleagues, is setting local targets, and working on obtaining data that will allow us to measure business crime - and, hopefully, the effect we have on it. We have the support of our Local Strategic Partnership, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership and other local agencies.
Sooner or later, we hope to have national level support from the Government for our work, and that of others like us around the country.
But there is one more area where we need support in order to succeed, and that is YOU, the business community. Part of the reason that there is a ‘Forgotten Fifth’ at all – as the Federation of Small Businesses likes to call it – is that a lot of business crime goes unreported.  Why? Maybe bosses feel that penalties and sentencing for crimes against business need to be seen as tough enough to have a deterrent effect, and that they should be enforced. But if they are not reported, we will not make much progress in any other areas.
Visiting businesses locally, I have found that this is, indeed, often true. Some crimes, like the theft of tools or materials from a trader’s yard, might be written off as an occupational hazard – a few hundred pounds against the down time of dealing with the police and still not getting the stuff back. Then there is the time and money spent on future remedial measures like CCTV – hardly seems worth it?
Well of course, it IS a worthwhile investment in the future of any business, which will become apparent after the third or fourth time the criminals have been to visit, but not been reported.
It may be a cliché, but you have to help us to help you. DO report your crimes.
I or a colleague will be round to see you and, together, we will take positive steps top help stop it happening again. That is on a one-to-one basis, but at the same time, it is also helping us to build up a truer picture of crime in our area, leading to our having the right resources to make a difference on a larger scale, and over a longer time.
If you are interested in making a difference to business security issues, or want to contact me about any security topics, I am keen to hear from you. Please e-mail  me on: philip.lewis@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

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