by ERIC SMITH

BUSINESS PEOPLE need to use technology more to fight crime against their businesses.

Station Sergeant David Lewis from the Black Rock Station, while addressing a number of small business owners yesterday at St Leonard's Boys' School, said the criminal elements were using technology for their own devious purposes.

It was important that business people used the technology to stay on par or ahead of the criminals, he said.

Lewis said within the Black Rock police district, there were about 160 small businesses; five service stations and three major supermarkets.

Areas of concerns highlighted by Lewis included the manner in which service station attendants checked their cash late evenings in the forecourt of the businesses; lack of CCTV cameras on the exterior of buildings; poor lighting in many areas and overgrown bush and shrubbery which could be used as hiding places.

He also suggested that small shopkeepers put measures in place to restrict anyone from easily "getting over their counters".

Stating that "this is causing a problem for the police", he called on business people at all levels to work with the police and "share information", especially with the busy Christmas period approaching. The officer also said the general community needed to work with the police.

Team effort

"You can't fight crime alone; we the police cannot fight crime alone, we have to depend on your help to solve the crime," he said, pointing out that criminals were uniting and using technology.

"Communication and information systems have developed to such an extent that organised crime syndicates are able to network their activities to a greater extent than before," Lewis said.

The policeman also warned business people to be on the look-out for "fraudulent refunding", where customers are stealing items from a businessplace and then returning with the item asking for a refund.

"Some owners will take back the item, even without a receipt, because they don't want to lose market share," Lewis said.