SECUR1TY - the impact of crime on SE1 businesses

The campaign has been launched by the London Bridge BID Company and Better Bankside in association with the Metropolitan Police.

A small business can lose on average about £2,500 a year as a result of burglary and other crimes. For larger companies it can be tens of thousands of pounds. And this does not include the cost of disruption to the business and any lost sales.

The regeneration of the SE1 area has meant increased opportunity for criminal activity. Police officers say that non-residential burglary, walk in theft, bike theft, motor vehicle crime and street robbery have always presented a challenge in this area.

Businesses attending two recent breakfast briefings were given practical advice from the police and insurance and security experts on how to control business losses

Chris Bateman from Better Bankside said that good security should be common sense, but that for some businesses common sense goes out the window – along with the laptop and any cash left on the premises.

During the presentations Alan Patrick from Chubb Insurance emphasised that businesses must understand and recognise the potential security risks, and take steps to reduce those risks and avoidable business costs.

Superintendent Victor Olisa from Southwark Police spoke about how individual businesses need to take control of their environment – and that security marking of property was an easy and practical step that would cut crime overnight.

Terry Wilden from the London Bridge BID Company called for the setting up of local Business Watch schemes, to assist and encourage business to keep an eye on their neighbours and to report suspicious behaviour.