The 23% decline was revealed this week at a Reliance Security Services conference in the East Midlands. The drop is equivalent to saving £4.8m to the region’s businesses.

 

Inspector Stephen Fairbrother, Derbyshire Police’s Crime Reduction Manager, said the melding of traditional policing techniques with the latest developments in technology was dealing a major blow to criminals targeting the region’s business community.

 

Inspector Fairbrother said the importance of the project was emphasised by the fact that one in four crimes of the 26,000 recorded in Derbyshire in 2004 were business-related. And according to the Federation of Small Businesses, crime costs every small business an average of £8,000 a year.

 

The team behind the initiative received an early boost when a survey they undertook of 500 regional businesses found that companies were very concerned about crime, were receptive to help and wanted the police to deliver any anti-crime initiatives.

 

The result was the establishment of Derbyshire Business Against Crime. Four advisors on business crime were appointed, with each one being attached to a different police unit and also working closely with councils and chambers of commerce.

 

Ian Hinds, one of the DBAC advisors, said over the past three years, over 5,000 local businesses had been visited. DBAC officers have assembled a low-cost anti-crime kit that is available to all businesses and contains items such as rape alarms, people alerters and electronic door contacts. Mr Hinds said these were very much valued by small businesses where often only one staff member was on the premises.

 

Delegates also heard about SmartWater, a British invention that has been revolutionising the fight against business crime. SmartWater is an identifying colourless liquid that is detectable under ultra-violet light. It is similar in make-up to DNA and every application has a unique code. This makes it a perfect tool in identifying stolen property.

 

Graham Davies, a former police officer and now an executive at SmartWater, said the product was taking the fight to the criminals. Posters warning them of its use in their area were having a discernable effect on crime levels. He said it was particularly useful in detecting stolen goods that had been passed on to crooked dealers. “The result has been to break the criminal chain for stolen goods,” he added.

 

For more information please contact:

 

Oona Rosser

Tel: 01895 205000

email: oona.rosser@reliancesecurity.co.uk