When there are numerous stolen goods throughout your commercial business, or the thieves or vandals have caused significant property damage, you'll find that there is usually some financial loss. The disruption within your business will also result in a lack of productivity and therefore, less profit. In 2020 Crime Surveys for England and Wales stated there were at least 2.2 million thefts against businesses, and in the latest report, this had risen to 3.5 million in fraud.

A business's reputation can be seriously harmed by frequent criminal activity, and over time, you may find that you experience a loss of customer trust. The store or establishment may fail to retain or attract new employees, especially if there are constant threats to the livelihood of the staff..

Criminal activity can lead to detrimental or expensive legal consequences for various businesses. They may experience fines, lawsuits, and legal fees that you may be unable to provide. Your business may face compensation claims if you fail to protect your employees adequately.

Crimes heavily affect those within your business organisation, regarding their job security and physical safety. Those who work in environments that are targeted repeatedly may stress about the stability of their job, as they may have to close down the store, or move it, which may impact their ability to work. Small business owners may suffer the most, as ongoing issues may cause them to give up their businesses due to an impact on their finances and safety.

Crimes against industries and establishment buildings tend to have a huge impact on the UK economy, as they can result in loss of consumers and tax revenue, and the law enforcement and security measures costs will dramatically increase for protection. They can have lasting negative impacts on customers, employees the business overall and the wider economy, so it's best to take preventative steps.

According to the Home Office Commercial Victimisation Survey 2018, the stats displayed that there were approximately 300,000 threats and assaults on retail and wholesale sector workers throughout that year. The statistics of the 2022 survey will be released in May of this year.

Anti-social behaviour is a broad spectrum of acts and behaviours that are known to cause distress, harm or annoyance to a large group of people in a public setting. This could be anything from shouting, swearing, fighting, bullying, drunkenness, vandalism, fly-tipping, dog fouling, and any obnoxious or abusive behaviour towards anybody, especially children, animals, the disabled, and the elderly.

Arson, or willful fire-raising, is the act of intentionally beginning a fire with the intent of causing harm or the destruction of property, typically a building. Businesses must invest in plenty of fire-protection gear and ensure there are fire-preventative methods in place at their establishment to keep themselves, employees and customers safe. The NFCC provides an excellent leaflet on the subject for commercial companies to obtain the best advice.

Fly-tipping and waste dumping around your local area is an illegal method to dispose of your waste or unwanted goods, especially if done so on land without a waste dumping or landfill licence.

Fly-tipping can become a detrimental risk to wildlife and surrounding communities; it can attract pests and diseases, cause harmful smells, attracts arsonists that cause immense fires, and obstructs the overall aesthetics of an area.

If you notice one-off dumping of furniture and unwanted waste items or large-scale dumpings of hazardous waste or lorries disposing of rubbish in places they shouldn't, you must contact the authorities and report it immediately.

Robbery is the act of stealing from a property using physical force, verbal threats or weaponry against victims, such as homeowners, customers, employees and retailers. Suppose you have witnessed a robbery, or have any information about the location of stolen goods or the perpetrators, contact the police, or local crime stoppers, they'll ensure you remain anonymous.

Theft and shoplifting include a single, or group of trespassers who enter your building hoping to steal menial or highly precious goods. Where businesses are involved, theft is one of the most common crimes that retailers and staff experience. There is typically a Home Office Commercial Victimisation Survey performed every year, and in 2018, 71% of crime throughout the wholesale and retail sector was due to customer theft.

Commercial burglary is a result of thieves and perpetrators entering a public or commercial building illegally with the intention of committing a crime, more specifically, petty or grand theft. Whether a retail store, restaurant, warehouse, office, or similar establishment, they all fall under the commercial umbrella and could all be at risk of trespassers. If you or a nearby building has experienced a burglary and you have any significant information, you must contact the police or any crime-stopper campaign in your local area immediately.

Often criminals will target ATM machines by utilising heavy tools or machinery to break into the appliance, or to remove it entirely from the building they are attached to.

Doing so has such a massive impact on the community in ways you might not be aware of; for example, there may be several customers that rely on that specific ATM to retrieve cash, and they will have to search for a new one. It may frighten customers of the area, or of purchasing items with cards or cash for fear of it being stolen, which could result in a reduction of retail customers within that location. 

Businesses will also suffer financially, as they will have to repair the damage to their machine or infrastructure, and because of this, their insurance premiums can rise.

In 2018 in the UK, SaferCash found that communities experienced numerous attempts to steal cash machines, so much so that the number of attempts from its previous 400 in 2014 to a whopping 841. SaferCash represents approximately 80% of the industry, making them a highly reliable source.  You'll find that criminals typically target more rural areas, as these are less populated, and therefore they have fewer potential witnesses. The police force tackles a wider geographical area, which is why more vacant locations often fall victim to such crimes.