Half of Swedish small businesses hit by crime, yet many won't call police
A survey of 1,552 Swedish companies reveals that crime costs small and medium enterprises far more than lost goods—it erodes trust in authorities and forces business owners to shoulder prevention costs alone. One in four victims never report incidents to police, signaling a breakdown in the public-private safety partnership that policymakers depend on.
Originaltitel: The effect of crime on small and medium-sized enterprises and the strategies entrepreneurs implement to protect their businesses
<p>Using a cross-sectional survey of 1552 small and medium-sized enterprises in Sweden, we investigated the impact of crime on entrepreneurs’ attitudes and behaviors. Almost half of the respondents reported that their companies had suffered at least one crime in the prior five years. Businesses were particularly affected by theft/burglary, vandalism, invoice fraud, and cybercrime, but 24.7% of the respondents had not reported to the police the crimes committed against their companies. Entrepreneurs who employed a higher number of employees and who suffered higher economic losses were more likely to report. Many entrepreneurs indicated they lacked trust in authorities and public administration and chose to implement different crime prevention measures at their own expense. Crime also related to entrepreneurs’ opinions regarding prevention policies. Those directly affected by crime were in favor of more police patrolling the streets and tougher penalties for offenders. The results are discussed, considering the necessities and priorities in crime prevention, which must include entrepreneurs as stakeholders.</p>