Business Sectors
As one might expect, crime risks and patterns vary according to the business sector.
The Scottish Business Crime Survey shows how different business sectors and sub-sectors
have distinctive crime profiles. The most victimised business sub-sectors were
restaurants and take-aways (marked by high level of violent attack,
thefts by employees, threats of violence and vandalism)
public transport and taxi firms (marked by high levels of many types
of crime, notably threats, frauds, vandalism, thefts by employees)
The next most vulnerable sub-sectors (though with much lower levels of victimisation)
were motor and fuel retailers, post and telecommunications concerns, and pubs and
clubs.
Findings from the British Crime Survey suggest that repeat victims of violence
at work tend to be in: retail sales; security and protective services; nursing; teaching;
other education and welfare; and catering, hotels or restaurants.
Within the retail sector, the 1999 Retail Crime Survey identifies different risk
rates for burglary and robbery for different types of outlet. The figures point to:
Risks of burglary and robbery
Risk Rates By Retail Sector: no. of incidents per hundred
outlets, 1999
Source: Retail Crime Survey
Independent retailers, tend to have distinctive problems, with crime problems including
vandalism, anti-social behaviour, violence and intimidation. The Retail Crime Survey
estimates the incidence of certain types of crime per hundred independent retail outlets.
For the purposes of the survey, retailers with nine or fewer outlets are classed as
independent.
Crime risks for independent retailers: no of incidents per hundred outlets,
1999
|
Burglary
|
42
|
|
Criminal damage
|
42
|
|
Customer theft
|
8
|
|
Robbery
|
6
|
|
Till snatch
|
5
|
Source: Retail Crime Survey
These figures do not capture the threats and abuse from which some businesses suffered
repeatedly.
[Wood, J et al, Crime against Small Business: Facing the Challenge, Crime
Concern 1997].
|
