NCJ Number
190001
Journal
Security Journal Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Dated: 2001 Pages: 43-59
Date Published
2001
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This report presented an overview of major findings and implications of the first Scottish Business Crime (SBC) survey in relation to other surveys of crimes against businesses.
Abstract
Though seen as under-explored, crimes against businesses had begun to receive increased attention from criminologists from the British Retail Consortium “Retail Crime Costs” report, the Home Office Commercial Victimization survey, and the Small Business and Crime Initiative. The first Scottish Business Crime (SBC) survey was published in 1999. The key objective of the research was to consider the extent, nature, and costs of crime as it affected businesses in Scotland. This report reviewed some of the findings and implications of the SBC survey and to build on the methodology and practice of previous national surveys by utilizing both “head office” and “premises” surveys to measure rates of crime against businesses in the manufacturing, construction, wholesale/retail, hotels/restaurants, and transport/communications sectors. Summary findings included: (1) businesses in Scotland experienced similar prevalence in rates of crime to businesses in England and Wales; (2) businesses in Scotland had lower incidence rates of crime compared to businesses in England and Wales for all comparable crime types except vandalism and theft by outsiders; (3) crime against businesses in Scotland was concentrated against a small number of victims, similar to businesses in England and Wales; (4) substantial losses were generated by crime; and (5) a number of factors promoted and reduced the risks of crime to businesses, with crime risks varying according to a number of factors, such as business sector, location, premises type and surveillance. The high-risk businesses in the manufacturing, construction, wholesale, and freight haulage sectors were located on industrial estates next to problem housing areas. The high risk businesses in the retail, pubs/restaurants, and taxis sectors were characterized by a number of factors, including having a town/city center location, and attracting customers prepared to engage in crime and trouble. Overall, some of the findings of the SBC were comparable to the previous surveys conducted in England and Wales. The report recommends a more rigorous analysis of victimization patterns within different business sectors, and begin to establish a more comprehensive picture of the uneven risks of victimization for different business types. Tables and graphs