smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

Crime cost the UK’s smaller retailers Ł2.2 billion in 2002, only a small decrease from 2001, leading the British Retail Consortium (BRC) to call for more investment in crime prevention from the Government.

The BRC feels that retailers are being overlooked in the Government’s crime agenda. Director General of the BRC Bill Moyes points out that retail crime losses are almost static thanks to the efforts of retailers themselves, as the Home Office spent only Ł3 million on the problem last year.

Ł6 million this year and a further Ł6 million next year has been allocated to helping small retailers in the most deprived areas of the UK improve security. Details of eligibility and how to apply for funding can be found at www.crimereduction.gov.uk, the Government’s crime reduction resource.

The website also offers a variety of tips on how to prevent burglaries, robberies, fraud and violence against staff. These include:

Training staff to be vigilant and not to leave cash drawers open longer than necessary

In the event of a robbery, staff should co-operate with the robbers’ demands to reduce the risk of getting hurt, but should also attempt to observe details about the robbers appearance

Keep as little cash as possible on the premises by regularly transferring it to a more secure place

To help prevent credit card fraud, staff should watch customers sign and compare their signature to the one on the card, also checking start and expiry dates. Make these checks obvious to the customer

To reduce the risk of theft, train staff to recognise shoplifters. They will often look around the room rather than at the products

Decide what to do when a potential thief is identified. Often, approaching them and asking if you can help them is enough of a deterrent.

For more tips on crime prevention, visit www.crimereduction.gov.uk

(23/6/03)