Statistics recently revealed by the Home Office, however, show that not only are crime rates relatively even across the whole country but also that the wholesale and retail stores are those most at risk.
Thankfully, new online tools have made it easier than ever for us to look at crime rates in specific areas. Using this data, we’ve put together a list five of the cities where your chances of falling victim to robbery greatly increase. They are:
Burglaries per 1,000 people
5) Bradford – 79.43
4) Lincoln – 85.02
3) Manchester – 85.97
2) Hull – 88.39
1) London – 163.01
It’s perhaps not surprising that London, a city known for its wealth, has a burglary rate of 16 per cent. What the data does also reveal, is that there are many cities further north that are also at a higher risk.
With the average cost of a break-in to a business said to be nearly £4,000, it’s important to take precautions to try and avoid such a scenario. That’s why we’ve drawn up seven simple and cost effective ways to reduce your chances of falling foul to a robbery, below:
Be aware of what you’re posting on social media
Thieves are known to use ‘surveillance’ techniques on social media profiles to try to detect when a home or business is likely to be empty. If your company is taking part in a team-building day out, for example, it may be wise to only post photos of the event to your social channels once you’re all back at the office.
Use warnings signs
A recent study into the cost of burglar alarm callouts for local police forces in the United States revealed that warning signs that indicate the presence of an alarm system or CCTV is an effective deterrent.
Keep any green spaces clear
Foliage and trees can provide excellent cover for a criminal, so it’s important to keep any green space around your office well maintained.
Never leave a spare key hidden
Someone may spot you or a member of staff retrieving the key at some point, which can leave your business at a substantial risk of being burgled.
Install bollards
Ram raids, where criminals drive a car into a building in an attempt to take as many items as possible in a short timeframe, can be avoided by installing bollards.
Light all points of entry
All doorways should be well lit 24 hours a day to deter criminals from trying to enter into the business at night.
Leave the cash registers open
If any cash registers are in open sight, it’s advisable to empty them and to leave their trays open. This way, any opportunist thieves looking for some quick cash are likely to move onto other targets.
