Businesses encouraged to help tackle crime

Regional business crime reduction advisers will be employed throughout England and Wales, under the government's new business crime strategy launched today.

The initiative will focus on encouraging business involvement in existing crime reduction partnerships and schemes, providing support and advice to business on crime reduction and implementing measures to tackle retail crime and fraud.

A new business crime team at the Home Office will implement the strategy which was developed after a public consultation suggested that small and medium sized businesses, along with retailers, were the most concerned about crime.

According to the government's 2002 Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS), crime against retailers and manufacturers is lower than when the last survey was carried out in 1994, and that the smallest businesses experience lower levels of crime than others, the figures highlight that crime against business remains a concern.

Hazel Blears, Minister for crime reduction, said: "We take business crime very seriously and the provisional figures show more work needs to be done. The new strategy is a significant step forward as it is a dedicated programme of work which reflects what businesses want. "The regional business crime advisers will be a key element in the strategy because they will help to build better, more effective links between businesses, police, local authorities and government."

(gmcg)