Committee highlights crime against local business

COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHTS CRIME AGAINST LOCAL BUSINESSES

The Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Justice today held a stakeholder meeting involving a number of business organisations and the PSNI to discuss business crime and its effects on local businesses in Northern Ireland.

Chairperson of the Committee, Alastair Ross MLA said: "The Committee takes the issue of business crime seriously and we wanted to hear directly from those affected and from the PSNI on its work to reduce business crime.

"Business crime is continually evolving and there is evidence of a growing prevalence of cybercrime, organised crime and rural crime. The Committee therefore wanted an opportunity to discuss the need to increase confidence in the justice system and the importance of close co-operation and partnership between businesses, government, the PSNI and the community.

Mr Ross said: "Following the stakeholder event the Committee intends to discuss with the Minister and the PSNI what action needs to be taken to improve the effectiveness of the initiatives that are currently in place to tackle business crime.

"We believe that if the business community, government and the PSNI work in partnership, business crime can be tackled in a meaningful and substantial way to the benefit of all businesses."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The organisations that took part in the stakeholder meeting were:

 Retailers against Crime
 Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA)
 British Retail Consortium
 Federation of Small Businesses
 Pubs of Ulster
 PSNI