An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Booklet and DVD launched to help businesses protect themselves from crime, terrorism and other threats.

Crime costs business at least £19 billion per year. In new security advice, Home Office Minister Hazel Blears advises all businesses to remain vigilant and to ensure they have good security in place.

'Secure in the Knowledge', a new guidance booklet with DVD, has been developed by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), with London First, the business membership organisation, and is supported by the Security Service. The aim is to help business nationwide to review or introduce security plans, helping them take protective measures to reduce the risk of being affected by crime, electronic attack, acts of terrorism and other events that would have an impact on their business.

Ken Jones, Chairman of ACPO's Terrorism Committee, and Chief Constable of Sussex, says:

"Good crime prevention is good common sense, and even in modern society a sensible planned approach to threats can go a long way to preventing them or minimizing their consequences. This new publication is driven by the need to counter terrorism but most of the advice is equally applicable to other types of crime - and indeed to major accidents or other disasters. "

Jo Valentine, Chief Executive of London First, says:

"It is too easy to say 'This will never happen to me'. The truth is that every day some businesses suffer because there is no ownership at the top and they have not planned properly. By having good security measures in place and ensuring that your suppliers do too, you can minimise the effect of such incidents - and it can make the difference between economic life and death. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

To download the booklet please visit our document downloads section.

For further information contact Tim Mahony at ACPO on 020 7276 5118, and Rachel Goodison at London First on 020 7665 1564.