Business-related robberies on the increase

ALL business-related crimes are up in KZN, but the biggest concern for organised business bodies was the huge spike in robberies – up more than 18 percent, according to the latest crime statistics released yesterday.

The number of business robberies in KZN increased to 2 353 reported cases from April 2012 to March 2013, up from 1 911 cases in the previous year.

“This is a major concern,” said Jody Nair, head of Business Against Crime KZN.

“We have placed a lot

of focus on working with the police to address priority crimes such as business robberies. Crimes that involve guns and people getting killed are the kinds of contact crimes that lead to people wanting to emigrate.

“We have had successes but this is being undone by the spike in business robberies and other serious crimes,” he said.

Nair said the sad thing was that most business robberies would have been against small and medium businesses.

“Big business can afford to invest in private security, CCTV surveillance and other measures, but for many small businesses this is not an option,” he said.

“In some cases it could cripple a small business.

“We encourage more businesses to get involved in the fight against crime, through Business Against Crime or other organisations,” said Nair.

He said the absence of the Cato Manor Organised Crime Unit had clearly had a big impact, with a spike seen in serious and organised crime.

Other increases in businessrelated crime in KZN included business burglaries up from 10 958 to 11 971 cases reported; commercial crime up from 13 681 to 14 458; shoplifting up from 12 402 to 13 017; and truck hijacking from 64 to 82.

“It’s a bleak picture that the latest crime stats present on the business front and it’s going to increase the cost of doing business and hurt productivity levels of workers, which all runs into hundreds of millions,” said Durban Chamber chief executive Andrew Layman.

“We are obviously very disappointed and concerned that our society seems to be increasingly lawless and criminals are getting away with it.”