Unfortunately, no one is immune from being the victim of a burglary, whether domestic or a business, if you have anything of value you may be a target. There are steps you can take to try and reduce the risk of being a victim of burglary, but first, let’s take a look at exactly how burglary affects businesses here in the UK.
The UK Government publishes annual statistics on crimes against businesses; the statistics from 2021 contain some pretty interesting data.
Here are some of the key findings:
- 38% of businesses in the wholesale and retail sector in England and Wales had been a victim of a crime.
- The most common type of crime was theft (27%) followed by assault/threats (12%) and burglary (10%).
The words theft and burglary are often used synonymously, but there are some differences between the two terms.
Theft is defined by Oxford as:
the action or crime of stealing
Whereas burglary is:
illegal entry of a building with the intent to commit a crime, especially theft
As you can see there are a lot of similarities between the two, and in some situations, the terms can be used interchangeably as burglary does often pertain to theft, but theft is not always carried out during a burglary.
Both theft and burglaries can cause significant losses to businesses, and both can be prevented with the installation of a suitable security system. In 2021, theft and burglary combined made up 37% of all crimes experienced by businesses.
What Businesses Are Most at Risk?
According to UK Government statistics, retail premises were the most likely to experience theft (30%), and they also experienced this crime type more frequently.
Of those retail shops, it is generally found that the most commonly targeted retail businesses include jewellery stores, supermarkets, and any other businesses dealing in valuable commodities that are left out in the open.
Unfortunately, smaller businesses are also a target for burglars. Around 49% of smaller businesses in England in Wales have experienced at least one business crime in the most recent 2 years, 42% of those crimes being burglary and 38% being theft, for a shocking combined total of 80% of crimes against small businesses being theft related.
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If you’re worried that your business may be a target for a potential burglary, maybe it’s time to start taking steps to protect yourself against future risk.
IDS Security is proud to offer state-of-the-art security businesses for all manner of business premises. If you’d like to find out more information about the different ways in which IDS security systems can protect your business, check out the business security page on their website.
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If you’re not sure what type of security system would best benefit your business or would like to find out more about how IDS’ security products can specifically help you and your business, why not reach out today and arrange your FREE security survey? One of our experienced engineers will survey your property and provide you with a bespoke report detailing what services will best suit your business.
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If you have any additional questions about anything involved in this blog and would like to speak to a member of our customer service team, reach out and contact us today. You’ll be put into contact with a team member who will be more than happy to answer any questions you have.
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Read More: What is the Best Security System for a Small Business?
