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Throwing the book
at holiday crime
by
Paula C. Squires
Virginia Business
December 2003
With
the holiday shopping season here, businesses might opt
for Dick Tracy on their premises rather than Santa.
Theft and property crimes unfortunately are part of
the season’s hustle and bustle. Businesses lose
more than $800 million a year from theft and fraud,
according to the Virginia Retail Merchants Association,
a trade group representing 7,500 retailers.
To
help Virginia businesses fight crime the association
has published a crime prevention manual. It focuses
on how businesses can remove opportunities for crimes
in the workplace, touching on everything from physical
prevention with gates and lights to hiring practices,
computer crimes and tips on detecting shoplifters.
Law
enforcement agencies across Virginia and as far away
as Maine are using the manual and ordering hundreds
of copies at a time, says Laurie Peterson, president
of VRMA. To get a copy, call the association in Richmond
at (804) 649-0789. The manual is free to members and
costs $8 for nonmembers.
Virginia
Business - December 2003
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