Business owners have been urged not to fight back in the face of
a violent robbery.
The warning, from Midlands crime prevention expert Fay Goodman,
follows a number of high profile shop attacks where lives have been
lost and staff seriously injured.
Fay's comments have been endorsed by Parminder Singh, vice
president of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents and
chairman of their public affairs committee.
Business Voice WM is to distribute free copies of Ms Goodman's
updated guide, Beating Crime In Your Business Is Your Business, to
all 1,300 newsagents in the region. In addition to support from
Business Voice WM, the book has been sponsored by Westfield, AWM,
West Bromwich Building Society, Coventry Trading Standards and Buzz
Electrics to ensure as many small businesses as possible receive
the advice.
Ms Goodman said: "Businesses that handle cash or valuables
should ensure that their employees are trained so that they know
how to best react in the event of a robbery.
"They should be instructed to avoid any 'heroics' - the best way
to steer clear of personal injury is to co-operate fully with the
robber.
"Do not make any sudden moves. Keep your hands in full view of
the offender."
And she advises: "Be alert and try to remember as much detail as
possible. Consider using safety screens, personal panic buttons and
CCTV. Conceal duplicate keys in appropriate areas so that staff can
escape if raiders have locked them in the building."
Mr Singh highlighted Home Office statistics that show shop
attacks on the rise in the wake of the recession, drug use and
changes in society.
He said: "Sometimes people believe they can fight back and
succeed. But sometimes you can fight back and lose your life. But I
would say that it is not worth fighting back. Rather than risk
losing your life it is better to lose money."
Ms Goodman warned that the effects of crime on small businesses
could be far reaching.
She cautioned: "For a small business with a turnover of
£20,000 or £30,000 a year operating within very tight
profit margins it could spell bankruptcy."
Credit card fraud could result in a business suffering permanent
damage to its credit status; identity fraud was the fastest growing
white-collar crime, increasing at nearly 500 per cent a year;
cybercrime was rocketing, with 300 online crimes committed every
hour.
And she also highlighted how arson could have devastating
consequences for both human lives and property. There were many
reasons for it - people deliberately setting fire to a factory just
for 'fun'; burglars trying to destroy evidence of their presence; a
rival trying to destroy 'the competition'; or a resentful
ex-employee acting out revenge.
The guide goes into a host of other areas - from how to spot a
suspect parcel bomb to money laundering.
Endorsing its contents, Lord Jones of Birmingham said: "Not
surprisingly many smaller businesses concentrate on the pressing
day-to-day factors affecting the success of their business such as
quality customer service, new sales and existing customer
relationship development, credit and cash flow control.
"While insurance is a vital tool to help get you back to the
same trading position you enjoyed before a loss, it can never
compensate for the emotional effects and traumas which may arise as
a result of a crime. With inevitably limited resources to devote to
issues such as the effects of new legislation and loss prevention,
small businesses need to take advantage of all the help and advice
available.
"The burden of the cost of crime on the business community is
rising year on year, so it pays to be aware of how to tackle it,
especially bearing in mind that the small business sector now
accounts for no less than 95 per cent of all business ventures in
the UK."