Boots on the ground WINTER 2019 BUSINESS CRIME FSB demands thousands more police officers to tackle business crime crisis in England and Wales The extent of crime and its impact on firms in the West Midlands has been revealed in a new report from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Calling Time on Business Crime states that around two in five (40%) small firms in the region have fallen victim to a traditional crime such as theft, criminal damage and assault while one in five (20%) has been hit by cyber crime, including phishing, malware and data theft. One in five businesses did not report an impactful crime and the most common reason given for this was a lack of confidence in the police Around 17bn is lost to the UK economy each year as a result, so the FSB wants the government to tackle crime against small businesses as a priority. Central to this, it says, is hiring new police officers. The governments announcement of an additional 20,000 officers is a step in the right direction, adds the FSB, but it would like to see progress towards recruiting an extra 85,600 police over the next five years. Research for the FSB report, published in October 2019, found that 2.5 million small businesses had suffered some form of crime in the previous two years. The sheer number of incidents is also staggering: the data suggests 7.7 million crimes are committed against smaller firms each year. One in five businesses did not report an impactful crime to any authorities and the most common reason given for this was a lack of confidence in the police. These figures show the pressure that small firms are under on a day-to-day basis and the hugely damaging effect of business crime on UK productivity. On average over the past two years, small businesses in England and Wales affected by non-cyber crime have suffered costs of around 14,000 money they can ill afford. Credit: Karen Woolley, FSB development manager Image: iStock / simonbradfield The FSB believes the availability of more police officers and resources is critical to ensuring crimes are prevented and investigated benefiting not only small businesses, but the wider economy and the country. For further information, please contact your local Trading Standards Service