UK CRIME STATISTICS
As any business owner reading this and supporting Business Force will know, there has been no respite in the threat of crime for small business owners in the UK over recent years. Indeed, as the threat of cyber crime increases with technological advances, and the dangers of data threat become more and more apparent, there is more need than ever for businesses to make a stand to defend their livelihood and that of their employees.
Recent extensive surveys have indicated that in 2017 almost 50% of all UK based firms were subjected to a form of cyber attack; but in addition to this, the retail sector, already under enormous pressure, remains blighted by the huge impact of theft with almost a quarter of all retail businesses experiencing shoplifting.
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Figure 1: Trends in Crime Survey for England and Wales and police recorded crime, year ending December 1981 to year ending March 2016
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Source: Crime Survey for England and Wales, Office for National Statistics / Police recorded crime, Home Office
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Figure 2: Selected police recorded crime offences in England and Wales and percentage change between year ending March 2015 and year ending March 20161
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Source: Police recorded crime, Home Office
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The UK hospitality sector, one of the UK’s main employers, has also seen an increase in the impact of crime with, alarmingly, assaults and threats being the most common form of crime in this sector. Our publicans and restaurateurs work long hard hours in order to provide us with places where we can wind down and enjoy ourselves, and also form the backbone of our tourism industry. Keeping these businesses alive with the ongoing pressure of an increase in crime is making a hard job harder for them, and Business Force will be focusing on this sector in future issues to assist with reducing the statistics.
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Figure 3: Trends in violence, Crime Survey for England and Wales, year ending December 1981 to year ending March 2016
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Source: Crime Survey for England and Wales, Office for National Statistics
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A major feature in recent Business Force articles has been the focus on the impact of crime against allied trades. The debilitating consequences of the theft of and from vehicles which can often lead to a sole trader losing their livelihood is unfortunately on the rise. In these days of austerity where police resources are not as extensive as we would all want, it is more vital than ever that tradespeople do not make themselves an easy target and become another rising statistic in the world of business crime.
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Figure 4: Proportion of offences recorded by the police in England and Wales which were flagged as domestic abuse-related, selected offence groups, year ending March 20161
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Source: Police recorded crime, Home Office
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Charts and illustrations courtesy of www.ons.gov.uk / Home Office