More than 600 bosses in the York area have been called on to prepare a plan to hit back at business crime.

The Business Crime Action Group, part of the Safer York Partnership, which is formulating a crime reduction strategy for the city, wants them to attend a major conference at Imphal Barracks, Fulford, on March 7, when the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire, David Kenworthy, will discuss tactics.

It comes as the group, armed for the first time with a database of businesses in the area, prepares to commission research into the causes and cures of business crime. A letter sent by the action group to hundreds of businesses outlines how they can unite at the conference to:

l prevent unauthorised entry into business premises;

l spot the tell-tale signs of drugs and alcohol dependency in the workplace;

l fight computer crime - of the 148 computers, including peripherals stolen from York alone in the past year, 72 were taken from businesses;

l vet new recruits and train existing staff to be security conscious.

Other major speakers will include Paul Johnson, York's drugs liaison officer, who will define the problems that alcohol and drugs can bring to businesses, (including hitting profits) and Roland Harris, chief executive of the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

Jim Shanks, community safety officer, will talk about how to secure premises outside and within as he launches his new free leaflet guide on methods of risk assessment. He will be taking part in workshops, along with Jane Brown, operations manager for the Safer York Partnership and Superintendent John Lacy, operations commander for the central area of North Yorkshire police.

The Safer York Partnership consists of the City of York Council, North Yorkshire police, plus other public sector agencies as well as local businesses and voluntary and community groups pledged to reduce crime in York and create a safer city.

John Bolton, community safety officer in charge of business crime prevention, said the partnership's business action group now planned to commission research not just into statistics of business crime but also background issues.

He said: "For example why is it that bigger firms suffer a disproportionately larger amount of crime than smaller ones?

"And where firms have succeeded in being crime-free we need to ask - is this coincidence or have they found a magic formula which we should all share?"

Evaluations of crime can be compared year on year once the benchmark is set, he said.

Rob Brown, the new chairman of the Business Crime Action Group, said: "This conference is a key milestone - a rallying point for local businesses to support the cause.

"Crime reduction won't be achieved if it relies on just a few leading a campaign. Total involvement by everyone is paramount."

Anyone wanting to attend the conference will have to be quick. Early interest has already been shown in attending the event which will have room for just 120 delegates. For bookings phone York 552047.

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