Uniting to tackle business crime in Dorset
This week is Business Crime Awareness week, and I would like to take the opportunity to remind you of the work that is happening, often ‘behind the scenes’ to tackle business crime in your community.
Business crime is not a low priority or victimless crime. As a #ShopKind champion, I know only too well the devastating impact violence against retail workers can have. In Dorset, we have launched the Dorset Safer Business Partnership (DSBP), bringing together Dorset Police, the business community, and myself, working together to tackle offences such as shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.
Through the DSBP, we are working in partnership to fight business crime and to unite stakeholders to prevent, report, detect and tackle crime across the business communities of Dorset.
Now, in recognition of Business Crime Awareness Week, I am handing over my newsletter to DSBP representative, Gareth Lewis, Southern Co-op’s loss and prevention security services manager. He will tell us more about the true impact of business crime and how vital the Partnership has been in tackling it.
“Business crime is not solely a retail issue; it is a societal issue. Theft from businesses is not an isolated act, but feeds into so many wider issues including anti-social behaviour and substance abuse.
“I dislike the term ‘business crime’; it is far too corporate and cold, and it does not convey the terrible impact upon people. These crimes are not victimless. Shop thefts, antisocial behaviour, and assaults impact innocent people; ordinary people who are just trying to go about their normal everyday lives, do their jobs and earn a living.
“Beyond those individuals adversely affected including those who witness this type of crime, we must also recognise that it also affects the wider community, feeding into fears around community safety. The public see shoplifters stealing items and staff seemingly not acting upon it and they get frustrated at such inaction. The rise in shop theft is, in the main, driven by those whose criminality is driven by the need to feed their substance abuse, consequently, retail workers have been instructed not to tackle offenders as their personal safety is the most important thing. The offender could well have a knife, a needle, any type of weapon on them and who knows what they will do. As an employer, we can’t take the risk of someone being harmed. It is better to lose the stock, than have that happen. And unfortunately, such workplace policies are based upon real life experience.
“But what is the solution to this? What can we do ensure our staff are safe and the community feels safe? The answer is that businesses must come together and work with the police. Individual organisations cannot tackle these issues alone. Together, we are the ones who can make the change and drive it forward. And that is what the Dorset Safer Business Partnership is doing. In the past 12 months I have seen positive real examples of direct engagement between policing and businesses which is delivering results. And that is off the back of this partnership and the building blocks which those involved have put in place. Vital proactive engagement is happening between businesses and the police and we’re continually building on that.
“Business crime is not just down to any one reason like the cost of living for example, there are much wider issues at play. And this is why we must take a multi-solution approach to the problem focusing on a stronger resolution to offenders’ criminality and rehabilitation. This must start with businesses reporting crime to the police and that reporting process must be made easier.
“We can see policing is constantly changing and in Dorset we know there has been a positive boost to neighbourhood policing. The huge demand on the police is far greater than ever before, and what businesses must do if they want the police to deal with these issues, is they must come together, they have to take ownership of the situation.
“The clarity we are now getting about offenders because of the information being reported by businesses – well, it is like having a cataract operation. Thanks to the reports and the software we will be using as part of the Dorset crime reduction partnership, we can almost predict where geographically, these offenders could strike next. And what this system does is allow policing not to be swamped by all this data and information, because whilst we triage it and present it correctly, we are providing police with direct access to view and interrogate the data. But firstly, we need businesses to report these issues in order to build these pictures and identify these trends.
“To have a police and crime commissioner who is actively backing this is a big step. This partnership and the work we are doing is unique and will benefit the whole community. The Dorset Safer Business Partnership is trailblazing what can be achieved when everyone works together.”
Gareth encapsulates precisely why the Dorset Safer Business Partnership is so vital to fighting business crime. I know our county is full of thriving and diverse businesses – from global companies to independent retailers – so if you’re a business lead representing businesses in Dorset, then please get in touch for an initial discussion with my team.
Finally, I can assure you, there is a huge amount of work continuing behind the scenes to make Dorset the safest county to live and work in. Through positive and proactive collaboration, I know we can achieve that vision.
David Sidwick
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner