At the beginning of November, Telford began to experience a rise in commercial crime especially cigarette burglaries in Telford, writes Detective Chief Inspector Alan Edwards.

At around the same time a series of burglaries were taking place over weekends at shops belonging to a well known bakery chain.

Within weeks I’m pleased to report that a number of men were arrested for offences related to these burglaries.

They were caught, either in or running away from the premises, and in possession of the stolen goods.

The arrests came about because of good police work and a new partnership with local businesses who want to fight back against crime.

This partnership is the One Telford Safer and Stronger Business Group, where leading Telford companies are beginning to sign up to a partnership where they pool their knowledge, resources and time to reduce crime and actively join in catching criminals.

This will hopefully lead to reduced insurance costs, reduced time lost as a result of crime, and also lead to regeneration and development as other companies see the benefits of working here resulting in more employment opportunities for the community.

Businesses are currently being invited to come forward and work together in fighting crime.

Some people, and the thieves themselves, believe that stealing from a business is not too bad as it is victimless.

They reason that the goods will be insured and that businesses can stand the loss. The proceeds are often referred to as ‘falling off the back of a lorry’ or ‘a bargain’ which are euphemisms for stolen goods.

Anyone arrested for handling stolen goods in any way is liable for up to 14 years imprisonment so buyers should beware.

Business Crime is damaging in many ways. An example I can only refer to obliquely relates to an armed robbery.

My officers recently carried out a proactive intelligence operation and as a result the potential offenders were deterred from carrying out the planned attack and we assisted in target hardening the premises.

The success of that operation will not be recorded anywhere but the real result however is that the company is still an employer in Telford.

If the robbery had occurred it is highly likely they would not have been able to survive the loss. One man’s greed can put many people out of work, causing them and their families to struggle. That greed extends to the customers who keep the criminals in business.

A burglary at a business premises can stop work the next day. The theft of diesel from company vehicles or, worse still, criminal damage to them can stop planned business and endanger contracts.

At a time of high unemployment we need to keep business crime down but it’s worth remembering that, like every other crime, it relies on a customer base.

The cigarette burglar is not a nicotine addict wanting a massive fix – he wants to sell them to people who are looking for ‘a bargain’.

By buying these ‘bargains’ people create a community where crime can thrive. If you say no to buying stolen goods and work with us to stop criminals operating in Telford we will have a safer and stronger community.

Crime is still falling. Between 1st November 2009 and 31st October 2010 there were 290 crimes committed on the Telford Industrial Estates. This is a 20% decrease on previous year and a 29% decrease on the year prior to that.

The most prolific crime was burglary, then theft and then vehicle crime. The property most often stolen was money, computers, metal, vehicle parts, diesel and sat navs.

Please work with us and local businesses to arrest these people and put them out of business. The above may read like a list of possible ‘bargains’ for Christmas but please do everyone a favor – shop the burglars to the police and do not shop from them.