Irish businesses have lost over €160k each due to criminal activities over the past three years
A new survey also found that almost a quarter of Irish businesses have lost 50 working hours dealing with the aftermath of a crime.
ALMOST A THIRD of Irish businesses have been victims of crime over the past three years, according to a new survey.
The survey of 250 business owners by Carlow-based security firm Netwatch also found that businesses in Ireland have lost almost €166,500 each in assets since 2013 due to criminal activity.
Unsurprisingly, robbery was the most common crime, while almost a quarter of businesses experienced theft by staff members or vandalism. Businesses were least likely to experience assault, arson or extortion-related crimes.
Netwatch – which develops video technology and intruder alert systems - found that a quarter of business owners do not monitor access to their premises and 20% do not use CCTV.
Lost time
The majority of firms that have been victims of crime have lost working hours as a result, with nearly a quarter reporting that they lost more than 50 hours recovering from an incident.
The report said that lost time “could have a devastating impact on companies in Ireland, in particular SMEs”.
“Crime can often be thought of as one terrible incident, but consideration isn’t always given to the lasting effects of crime, in terms of replacing assets and time poured into disaster recovery,” it said.
Businesses in Dublin, Cork and Louth experienced the highest crime rate, while the public administration industry and retailers were most likely to be targeted by criminals.
The results were similar to a recent survey by ISME, the body that represents small- and medium-sized businesses in Ireland, which argued that tougher sentences should be handed down by the courts for crimes against businesses.
ISME’s research found that over 31% of businesses have been impacted by crime in the last year. However, it reported a drop in thefts by members of staff, down from 21% in 2015 to 11% this year.
CCTV
Netwatch recommended that business owners search their premises for vulnerabilities by checking perimeter fences, door and window and lighting around the building.
It also advised businesses to invest in CCTV, monitor access to their premises with a simple sign in/sign out sheet and set up a compliance system for stock and assets to monitor what is coming in and out of the company.
Earlier this year, Netwatch secured €19.5 million in funding to expand into global markets.
Co-founder and chief executive David Walsh told Fora at the time that the company was focused about breaking into the US market.
