HAMPSHIRE Constabulary has set its sights on tackling crimes against businesses and launched a new strategy.

The business crime strategy aims to raise awareness of the impact crimes can have on businesses, which can affect business turnover and viability and can have serious knock-on effects to the local community and economy.

It also hopes to increase the business community’s confidence in the police and to improve intelligence and crime prevention by increasing local interaction and engagement with businesses.

Simon Hayes, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner, who is supporting the strategy, said: “Business crime is a real threat to the livelihood of businesses and can be devastating. It is vital that we look to tackle this type of crime. I am delighted that the vision for the strategy is to raise awareness of business crime and its effects, and to propose ways to reduce the problems, through practical measures and partnership working.”

The strategy has been developed with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and other local partners.

David Springer, Hampshire FSB business crime spokesman added: “Crimes against business continues to have huge cost implications to businesses. It is clearly not a victimless crime. Results of recent FSB Research show small firms lose up to £800 million a year as they fall victim to fraud and online crime, and that a quarter of all crime is related to business crime. We are delighted to continue to work with the Hampshire Constabulary and PCC to raise awareness and to ensure that business crime is on the local Police agenda.”

The aim is that Hampshire Constabulary and local businesses will become jointly accountable for the delivery of this strategy.

Businesses are being urged to adopt preventative measures and report "every crime, every time". This will help the police to ascertain the true extent of crimes against business, and to then prioritise accordingly.

Accurate recording of business crime will enable accurate crime hot spotting and trends to help develop future crime prevention plans.