NCJ Number
189279
Journal
Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: 2001 Pages: 23-42
Date Published
2001
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article describes the implementation of a scheme aimed at reducing small business crime.
Abstract
The Small Business Strategy (SBS) of the Safer Merseyside Partnership was set up in order to combat the problem of excessive victimization against non-residential properties. The SBS concentrated on businesses with fewer than 25 employees, that were not a part of a larger business, and that were situated in the most deprived neighborhoods of Merseyside. The survey design enabled the longitudinal tracking of individual properties that either had or had not been assisted by the SBS. Surveyors collected information from 326 of the 470 businesses. Results showed that levels of burglary had been significantly reduced in the properties that were involved in the SBS intervention. The number of burglary victims that experienced repeat victimization was also substantially reduced in the intervention group. These drastic reductions were not seen in the group of properties that were not involved in the intervention. However, the effect of the SBS on recorded burglary rates might be exaggerated, since a general downward trend in crime rates was observed in other residential areas also. There were also concerns that the effect of the SBS might be fairly short-term in its nature. This reflects the general dilemma of short-term interventions. This would be an issue to examine in the future. 10 tables, 4 figures, and 17 notes.