The battle to safeguard small shopkeepers from attacks by
vicious thugs is to go national.
A National Business Crime Forum has been launched amid rising
concern at the growing number of violent incidents resulting in
serious injuries and deaths.
Government needs to act more decisively, it is claimed.
And it is also being urged to give increased priority to wider
issues such as e-crime and lorry hijackings.
The new lobby group brings together national business
representative organisations, such as the British Chambers of
Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses, with regional
business crime forums across the UK including those in Wales, the
West Midlands and the South East.
The aim is to highlight worrying trends such as the number of
armed hold-ups of local shops, but also to come together to tackle
crimes that cross boundaries.
Ministers in Whitehall, Cardiff Bay, Holyrood and Stormont will
be lobbied for change.
Birmingham newsagent and National Federation of Retail
Newsagents national vice president Parminder Singh has been elected
chairman. Burton-on-Trent manufacturer and Federation of Small
Businesses National Policy Vice Chairman Mike Cherry is vice
chair.
Mr Singh said: "Crime against business has for too long in this
country been regarded as not something of real importance.
"Tell that to the grieving families of those shopkeepers who
have lost their lives after being caught up in brutal
robberies.
"Tell it to hard-working employees thrown out of a job because
an arsonist has burned their factory to the ground.
"Tell it to a terrified lorry driver held up by masked raiders
with a sawn-off shotgun pointed at his head.
"Crime against business is so serious that all of society should
be saying that enough is enough. We have been seeking to highlight
this with government and the police for some time, and we have got
it up the agenda. But much more needs to be done."
Mr Cherry said: "NBCF aims to improve communications, promote
best practice, and encourage government, law enforcement agencies
and the business community to work efficiently in partnership to
reduce levels of crime against business.
"We need to identify and remove the barriers to cutting the
levels and types of crime against business and identify and
generate the cash needed for crime reduction initiatives."
Business Voice WM, a West Midlands pressure group representing
virtually all businesses in the region, is providing the
administrative back-up.
James Watkins, BVWM executive director, said: "The Midlands is
prone to crime against business because it is the centre of the
country.
"Criminals are forever passing through - stolen goods from a
break-in in Scotland can be on the streets of London in a matter of
hours.
"BVWM has been campaigning for some time now to raise awareness
while improving relationships with police forces up and down the
country. We have had considerable success, but with the formation
of the NBCF this can be taken to a new level.
"We have achieved widespread public support and they are with us
in demanding that crime against business is given a higher
priority."