Call for recognition of crime against business

Crime against business should be recorded separately to ensure resources are directed at addressing the problem of business crime according to a small business pressure group.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) welcomed the Home Office's announcement of a review of crime statistics but thought that more could be done to safeguard businesses.

More than half (58 per cent) of businesses were victims of crime in the past year according to the FSB, and crime against firms is estimated to be twice as common as crimes against individuals and households.

The FSB's Home Affairs spokesman David Croucher said: "We agree with the Home Secretary that crime statistics are currently confusing. We welcome the review and look forward to contributing to it.

"Many of our members feel that crime against business is not taken seriously. This is because crime against business is not a key performance indicator for the police. As a result there is no pressing need for the police to direct resources towards dealing with this vital issue.

"It is high time that crime against business was moved up the priority list of the law enforcement system and this review is the right time to do it. Small firms employ 13 million people and better business crime prevention will ensure that these jobs are safeguarded."

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