Survey Shows Drop in Crime Against Small Businesses
Details of the ISME National Crime Survey have revealed some interesting statistics.
Details of the ISME National Crime Survey has shown that while almost one in three SMEs (28%) have been the victim of crime in the last 12 months, the numbers are down from 33% in 2009.
The cost of criminal activity against business has increased by 24% and when the cost of security is included, the total direct cost to business as a result of crime is €1.35bn annually. The biggest impact of crime against business was increased security costs 40%, and ‘alterations to building layouts to enhance security’ reported by 34% of respondents.
Among the Businesses surveyed, some of the findings are:
• 28% of companies have been the target of criminal activity in the last 12 months, a reduction from 33% on the 2009 survey.
• Of those affected, 67% of companies experienced more than one instance of crime in the last 12 months.
• On a regional basis the highest incidence of crime was reported in Dublin County 36%, followed by Connaught 30%, Dublin City 29%, Munster 26% and Leinster 25%.
• The Retail sector was the area of the business community most affected, with a significant 52% of companies experiencing some form of crime in the last year, followed by Distribution 34% and Manufacturing 27%.
• The most common crime reported was 'Theft by Outsiders' by 32% of respondents, followed by 'vandalism' 30% and 'burglary' 28%.
• 14% of respondents confirmed being victims of theft by members of staff, indicating the importance of vigilance to internal criminal activity.
• The overall direct cost of Criminal activity on SMEs is estimated at €476m per annum or €7,291 per company. This figure increases dramatically when added to the €874m or €3,751 spent per company on crime prevention methods including alarms, C.C.T.V, security guards etc.
• The survey results confirm that only 7% of SME owner/managers are confident that if they were the victim of a crime, that the criminal would be apprehended
• The indirect costs of crime cannot be underestimated, as 19% of SMEs who suffered from criminal activity identified ‘disruption to trading’ as being a particular problem with 8% indicating ‘poor staff morale’.
• The use of alarms remains the primary weapon of crime prevention, with 75% of companies having an alarm on their premises. This was followed by 50% who use alarm response and 47% using access control and CCTV.
• The vast majority of companies affected by crime (78%) confirmed that they had reported criminal activity against their business in the last 12 months to the Gardai.
• Of those who reported incidents to the Gardai 71% felt that the issue was dealt with adequately or effectively, while 29% were dissatisfied with the response.
• A high 56% of companies outlined that they have never sought advice with regard to crime reduction. 19% received advice from the Gardai, while 16% received advice from a security company.
• A massive 86% felt that the judicial system is ineffective in adequately deterring criminal activity. Only 3% felt it was effective with the remaining 11% stating that they ‘don’t know’.
• A substantial 76% of SMEs indicated that they would be in favour of a significant increase in Gardai numbers and Gardai presence on the streets as a preventative measure. 73% would like to see tougher sentencing by the Courts with 67% seeking an increase in CCTV in town centres. 33% favoured more emphasis on rehabilitation of criminals
The complete document is available on the I.S.M.E. website at www.isme.ie.