Shoplifting, assault, fraud, and blackmail are blighting more than 40% of South Yorkshire firms, and have experienced financial loss as a direct result of crime, according to the findings of a recent poll.
A survey of 300 companies conducted by the region’s chambers of commerce covering Doncaster, Sheffield, Barnsley & Rotherham highlights how frequently firms in South Yorkshire are targeted by illegal activities.
Cybercrime was cited as the most commonly encountered offence here, with more than a quarter of respondents indicating that they have been victims of it in the past twelve months. Yet despite this prevalence, very few businesses in the region know about the support that is available right on their doorstep to help protect themselves from — cybercrime. For instance, only 34% are aware of the Action Fraud website and even less (8%) are aware of the North East Business Resilience Centre.
Theft from motor vehicles and burglary emerged as the next most widespread offenses, affecting 26% and 22% of South Yorkshire firms respectively. As for the impact that business crime has on the region overall, 2 out of 5 survey respondents indicated that they have suffered both financial loss and disruption as a result of illegal activity, while around a quarter of them reported a negative impact on customer wellbeing.
Chief Execs for all three regional chambers of commerce issued the following joint statement: “These results will enable us, as well as our strategic partners, to better understand the scale of the problem when it comes to business crime in South Yorkshire and it’s clear that there is a lot of work to be done here. In particular, there is an obvious need to crack down on burglaries and vehicle theft — which are causing disruption and financial loss throughout the region — as well as to signpost firms to the support that is available to help them deal with cybercrime.
“However, while the prevalence of this illegal activity is itself a problem, we are also alarmed to learn that only 58% of firms are reporting it with any degree of consistency. Indeed, two fifths of businesses told us that they do not always report a crime when they have been targeted by it, and 20% said that they have never once done so.
“The reasons cited for such inaction on their part range from them not believing that they will be taken seriously, to them simply having had negative experiences in the past. On a related note, only 30% of our survey respondents expressed that they have been at all satisfied with the response to any reports that they have filed in the past which, suffice it to say, is a very concerning statistic.
“For us to have a truly business friendly environment here in South Yorkshire — and one that is conducive to economic growth — these issues must be urgently addressed. After all, our businesses need to feel assured that the region does indeed have their best interests at heart and that somebody is fighting in their corner here; especially if we ever hope to improve the number of firms who are willing to give back by employing ex-offenders or sitting on prison employment boards.”
South Yorkshire’s Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner Oliver Coppard said: “I am working with South Yorkshire Police, experts and communities across South Yorkshire to develop my first Police and Crime Plan, setting out our policing priorities for the next five years. This type of in-depth, detailed feedback will help shape that Plan.
