Police Commissioner warns businesses to stay vigilant against business crime

AS we move from the biggest retail months of the year, Police and Crime Commissioner, Jason Ablewhite, is today reminding businesses alike to stay vigilant and be aware of potential threats from theft, scams and cyber-attacks.

Business crime can have wider ramifications on the community as a whole, potentially leading to companies closing and the loss of jobs if the impact is severe enough. Businesses are also a lucrative target for cyber criminals trying to steal money or sensitive data.

The Commissioner is warning companies just how important it is to report any crimes to the police. It is only then that Cambridgeshire Constabulary as a force, can assess the true scale of the issue and investigating officers can start to build up intelligence to help them catch the offenders.

The Police Commissioner says:

“I encourage any business owners affected by crime to use the Constabulary’s online reporting function to report non-emergency business crimes, such as theft or damage. You can find the link on www.cambs.police.uk/businesscrime. The option of reporting online makes the process easily accessible and can be done outside of business opening hours.”

Demand Hub Contract Manager, Tracey Blackwood, explains:

“This is the latest step the force has taken to modernise and adapt to the changing needs of the community. This offers a more efficient service for businesses and will allow them to provide details of crime at a time that is most convenient to them.”

Businesses can access Cambridge Business Against Crime (CAMBAC) and Huntingdon Business Against Crime (HBAC) for support for any business related crime matters. Operating on behalf of businesses, both organisations operate locally to help prevent and reduce crime.

CAMBAC works closely in partnership with Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Cambridge Community Safety Partnership, and both City and County Councils, among other agencies. It is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, set up in response to concerns from city centre businesses, utilising a city-wide radio and information sharing network. Members of CAMBAC get free access to a secure, online database for the sharing of vital information, free staff training and receive intelligence and information from the police.

CAMBAC’s Adam Ratcliffe explains:

“The business community in Cambridge face daily issues with crime, with theft and anti-social behaviour a constant presence, the level of aggression towards staff is rising at an alarming rate. Under-reporting of crimes to the Police has made this situation worse, creating an inaccurate picture of the true state of the situation.

“Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s new online reporting procedure is a huge step toward tackling this issue, by making reporting incidents easier and understanding the problems faced by businesses, they will hopefully be able to tackle the problem as efficiently as possible in this truly testing economic time. We encourage all businesses to utilise the online reporting procedure whenever they are affected by crime, and CAMBAC will be supporting its members with that process.”

And in Huntingdon, as the HBAC Manager explains, both the Constabulary and HBAC are working in partnership to ensure that businesses are able to report crime in a straightforward and efficient manner.

The Manager of HBAC explains:

“HBAC link in with Cambridge and Bedford City to ensure that retailers are kept up to date with the newest of crime initiatives. Using a 24/7 information sharing portal and two way radios, HBAC is able to promote the ‘community’ with the town to detect, deter and displace crimes.”

If someone is in danger and you need immediate support, you must call 999.