Champion To Help Cut Attacks On Businesses
Radio Manufacturer Icom UK and its Lincoln based dealer, Lincs Radio have both recently sponsored a Crime Reduction Forum in Woodhall Spa organised by Lincolnshire Chamber. The forum gave the police and retailers the chance to meet and discuss the issue of retail crime.
Among the ideas put forward were plans to appoint a business champion - a single point of contact who would act as a go between for businesses and police and also bid for crime reduction money. Matt Corrigan, chief executive of Lincoln Business Improvement Group, said: "Someone pinching a bit of copper from a roof might cost a business £5,000 to repair. "The police's message is 'do report crimes' because if you do it starts to build up a picture and gives them something they can use to target people. "We feel that a business champion would possibly link business data and intelligence to the police database. "The police cannot walk away from their responsibility to deal with crime but then business cannot either."
Chief Superintendent Terry Hackett, of Lincolnshire Police, said that he would like to see a business champion for each of the three police divisions in the county. "I have 28 years in this job but from talking with my group in the workshop I have learned just what we are missing out on in terms of intelligence and information," he said.
Also discussed was sharing crime information and prevention expertise within Lincolnshire and further afield. Matthew Woolley, who runs Forum Computers at Gateway Park, in South Hykeham, which was formerly based in North Hykeham, said he felt the meeting was a "fantastic first step".
Figures show that 64 per cent of Lincolnshire's businesses were victims of crime in 2005/6, compared to 21 per cent of households. Anti-social behaviour, shoplifting, fraud, violence against staff and graffiti cost county firms more than £5 million a year.
Icom UK Marketing -
marketing@icomuk.co.uk
01/08/2007
