The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has congratulated the new Police and Crime Commissioners elected across England and Wales, and has urged them to tackle business crime more closely.
Nearly a quarter of smaller business owners (24%) do not report any crimes committed against their business. When asked why, most said they felt they would not see a positive outcome (46%). This highlights an ongoing lack of confidence in the police’s ability to deal with business crime and it is important that PCCs urgently address this issue. Business crime acts as a barrier to growth for the UK’s 5.4 million small businesses and in the worst cases, puts entrepreneurs out of business.
FSB National Chairman Mike Cherry said:“With the average cost of crime to a business now at £5,898, and instances of cyber crime on the rise, there is a real necessity to get a handle on this.
“Our policing manifesto ‘Tackling business crime: FSB manifesto’ is a good place for all PCCs to start. We would encourage PCCs to make contact with their local business community through the FSB and work towards forging a better relationship between police and businesses once and for all.”
