Sheffield broker advice to protect against business crime

19th April 2013

Sheffield broker IFM Insurance based on Tapton House Road is reminding Sheffield firms of the need to protect their business against the rising threat of crime.

This follows the latest British Retail Consortium survey, which reveled that the cost of crime has risen significantly again in 2012 rising by 15.6 per cent, to an overall cost of £1.6 billion. The number of incidents has also risen in the majority of offences. Customer theft continues to be the most prevalent when looking at the number of incidents, however, e-crime now equates to the most costly type of crime affecting the sector. David Biggs, Managing Director of IFM said, "Crimes committed against businesses in Sheffield can be very costly and can be the difference between staying solvent and going out of business. In most cases stock and equipment are the lifeline of a business so having them stolen could have a devastating affect. So small businesses should focus on protecting their business assets by considering the following measures: Check if your business is located a high risk crime area. Also check the Sheffield Police website for useful advice when reporting a crime. Keep a minimum amount of cash and other valuables on the premises.  Use a safe to reduce the amount of cash in tills at all times. Alarms help to secure a building by alerting you, your security company or the police to the presence of intruders. Ensure that mortise locks on timber perimeter doors are 5 lever mortise deadlocks conforming to BS3621 and windows are fitted with suitable window locks. Keep computers, printers and other computer equipment locked away.  Make sure that anti-virus & security software are kept up-to-date to protect your business from cyber crime. Make sure that CCTV is in working order