The British Chambers of Commerce is to launch a campaign to cut
crime against business.
The campaign, to launch on 10 December, is one of the organisation's
biggest ever and involves public affairs, media relations and internal
relations with chambers across Britain.
Campaign aims include altering the way the Home Office records
crime.
Currently crime against businesses, such as burglary or embezzlement, is
not listed separately.
The BCC also wants to increase awareness about the effect of crime on
small businesses, which often face closure due to repeated crime.
To do this the BCC plans to increase liaison with local chambers with
the aim of strengthening links between business, the police and the
local media.
The campaign will be handled in-house with PRO Malik Thahid overseeing
media relations and policy adviser Rachel Burns heading the public
affairs work.
The BCC is currently on the hunt for a communications manager who will
oversee links with local chambers.
The communications manager is a newly created post which replaces head
of communications head Andrew Parkinson, who left to join the Engineers
Employers Federation to lead campaigns last week.
Thalid said: 'Having separate crime figures against business will go a
long way to letting people know that it is a serious problem with real
victims.
'Some people think that because the crime has happened to a business
there is no victim, but it is a terrible thing to happen, especially for
a small business, who may be forced to close,' he added.
For the campaign launch the results of a survey of firms will be
unveiled.
The campaign is solely PR driven with no advertising involved.
The BCC represents an estimated 135,000 business covering all sectors of
the economy.
