Dorset businesses suffer rise in robberies (From Business in Dorset)

Dorset businesses suffer rise in robberies

4:00pm Sunday 27th September 2009 in

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ROBBERIES of Business premises have gone up during the credit crunch.

Figures released by Dorset Police under the Freedom of Information Act show there were 27 such crimes for 2007, 38 in 2008, and 20 in the first six months of 2009.

Bournemouth Central was the worst hit area in 2008 with 11 offences, and Bournemouth North the worst so far in 2009, with six offences.

Recent robberies include: Bearwood Post Office in January; Martins Newsagents in Canford Heath in May; Bournemouth’s Nationwide in Old Christchurch Road in July and Bet Fred in Lyndhurst High Street in August.

Business leaders said they thought business crimes were not being properly recorded, and less serious crimes not properly investigated.

Bill Dedman, chairman of the Federation of Small Business (FSB) Dorset, said: “Our biggest problem is crime is often not recorded and followed up in any way. We had a meeting where it was mentioned the police had produced a booklet about the work they do and how wonderful and clever they are, and the word business isn’t in there once.”

MP Oliver Letwin, MP for West Dorset, said: “My experience is minor crimes at businesses are just not treated terrible seriously by the police but they often have a huge impact.”

Detective Superintendent Colin Stanger said: “All business crimes are recorded in accordance with Home Office guidelines and all crimes in Dorset are appropriately investigated.”