A little common sense might go a long way?

I finally had time to read the majority of the new Criminal Finance Act introduced Last year.

The entire act is very impressive and especially the subject of tax. Businesses must show more diligence when recruiting / employing staff by asking for UTR numbers.

Tax evasion costs the UK Government over £30 billion a year!

A recent observation that blew me away with absolute respect, it is a foreign policy introduced quite recently, by our good neighbours Ireland. I witnessed this first-hand. The banking systems in Ireland will refuse to give a bank account to any person without a PPS number (UTR number equivalent), giving the authorities complete transparency of earnings and savings should the need ever arise.

Given we are still in the EU and Ireland have managed to appease the new GDPR regulations with the EU Parliament, it might be a worthy exercise if the Inland Revenue takes a peek at Ireland’s policy on this.

Quite remarkable and ingenious, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners have undoubtably got it right with a little common sense.

Implementing this in the UK would produce astonishing changes in the way the Revenue police, monitor and collect Her Majesty’s taxes.

The number of police stations open to the public has almost halved in seven years, according to new figures.

Nearly 400 front counters have been shut across England and Wales, a Freedom of Information request by the Mail on Sunday found.

Figures from 31 out of 43 forces showed a fall from 901 open counters in 2010 to 510 as of March this year – a decrease of around 43 per cent. It comes amid political pressure on the Government over the reduction in the number of police officers and the rise in violent crime reported to forces.

A similar request last month found the Metropolitan Police sold off almost £1 billion in London property in the last five years, including 24 police stations.

The Met told the Mail on Sunday the number of London police stations, which it defines as operational buildings with a front counter, had halved from 148 in 2010 to 73 in 2017.

Other major forces cutting public counters include West Midlands Police, which closed 29 over the period, and Greater Manchester Police, which also slashed numbers in half from 22 to 11.

The paper also said Derbyshire Police saw the biggest reduction, with the number of front counters open to the public falling 84 per cent from 25 to four. It also cites Hertfordshire, a county with a population of nearly 1.2 million people, as having three fully operational police stations with front counters, compared with 10 seven years ago.

The force’s website shows there are three stations open to the public daily, two others with a reduced counter service and 15 with no public access. Stations with cells also closed at a rate of 45 per cent since 2010, falling from 282 to 155 across the 31 force areas.

A spokesman for the National Police Chiefs Council said: “Police are now far more accessible to the public online and by phone. “Chief constables and police and crime commissioners will take decisions together about the numbers and location of police stations and front counters to meet their communities’ needs balanced against force budgets and priorities.

“All forces ensure they have custody facilities to meet their levels of demand. In recent years, several forces have replaced and renewed their custody suites.” A Home Office spokeswoman said crime had fallen, according to the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales figures released last month. She added: “The Government has protected overall police spending in real terms since the 2015 Spending Review.

“Decisions on the operational deployment of resources and the size of the police workforce are rightly a matter for chief constables, in association with Police and Crime Commissioners, but police forces continue to have the resources they need to do their important work.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said in a statement: “The safety of Londoners is my top priority. Our police officers work incredibly hard often risking their own safety to keep us safe.

“Today’s Mail on Sunday investigation shows the devastating effects of government cuts on our police force. Years of under-investment and real-terms cuts have forced the closure of around four in ten police stations open to the public in the England and Wales at a time when reports of violent crime are on the rise.

“Since 2010, huge government cuts to the Metropolitan Police Service has meant drastic action being taken to protect frontline police officers in the capital.

“The Met has already had to find £600m of savings since 2010. That is why the number of police station front counters in London has already gone from 149 to 73 and thousands of police staff have been cut.‎ “In the coming years, due to further Government cuts we will have to find another £400m of savings plus up to £700m more if the police funding formula changes. That is why we are now having to consult on closing up to half of London’s remaining police station front counters.

“Despite this drastic action, Government cuts are so severe that we may also be left with no alternative but to look at reducing frontline officers if ministers go ahead as planned.”

Running a successful business is no easy feat. Planning and projecting will only get you so far, and after a while, you’ll need to grow, learn and adapt in order to achieve continued success. In my years of starting and running a business, working with small business owners across the country, I’ve noticed a few things most successful business owners have in common.

Review Business Plan and Budget

Your business is ever changing, and your business plan and budget should flex along with your business’ growing needs. To successfully launch a business, a business plan and budget together make a great starting point for planning the way your business will grow and flourish. However, even the most fastidiously planned businesses will run into some surprises along the way.

Reviewing your business plan and budget at the end of each year serves as a great way to evaluate the successes and failures your business may have experienced that calendar year. Honestly ask yourself if you are still on your planned trajectory, or if you need to make some modifications in order to see better returns in the years to come. Reallocating funds and efforts in order to increase profits after conducting a business review will be necessary at times, and successful business owners don’t shy away from making these changes.

Embrace Software and Technology

Some business owners are stagnant – doing things the way they’ve always been done. This can include bookkeeping in stacks upon stacks of notebooks, writing paper receipts, sending out old-fashioned mailers and relying on word-of-mouth to sell your service or product. What may have worked 15-20 years ago isn’t likely going to cut it these days.

Embracing technology will not only bring your business into the 21^st century, but it will also help your business become more efficient and more profitable. Rely on accounting and bookkeeping software to replace paper balance sheets, keep a website up-to-date and timely, and take advantage of the vast array of marketing tools available to small businesses on the web.

Delegate Job Tasks and Responsibilities

I think it’s part of the entrepreneurial mindset to believe that we can do it all, but the truth is, if you try to do it all, you’ll run yourself mad (or worse). Shouldering all of the responsibilities and tasks needed to grow a successful business yourself will simply burn you out and exhaust you. A tired and disgruntled business owner is not a successful one.

Learn to delegate responsibilities and trust that your team can carry out important tasks in order to grow the business in a responsible way. After all, you hired employees to help you, so let them do their job so that you can focus on more important, higher-level tasks.

Know Your Financials

A business owner that doesn’t know his or her financials is likely headed down the wrong road. Knowing where your business stands in terms of profits and losses is the only way you can make informed choices for your business in the future.

Unfortunately, I regularly deal with business owners seeking financing for their companies who are not current on their financials. It puzzles me that a business owner would seek borrowed money when they aren’t even sure where the money they had gone. A successful and responsible business owner will be current with their financials within the past two weeks and be able to intelligently discuss the financial state of their business.

If you struggle with balancing finances on your own, consider hiring an accounting or a part-time bookkeeper that can help you keep things in order.

Take Calculated Risks

Chances are, if you own your own business, you are a risk-taker by nature. A huge part of becoming an entrepreneur and running a successful business is risk tolerance. Successful business owners strive to see progress every day and are willing to take some calculated risks in order to achieve that goal.

A big part of the willingness to take risks is an entrepreneur’s own personality, the support system that exists around him or her. Your tenacious nature, creativity and intuition for growing your business may only get you so far. You should also build a network of mentors and advisors who will help guide you through important decisions, and also lean on your friends and family for bits of advice when times get tough.

Top 23 safest country’s in the world – Crime statistics.

Slovakia — Kicking off the list is Slovakia. The central European state ranks higher in safety than in any other sub-index.

Canada —Canada is one of six non-European states to feature in the top 23. It has dropped 13 places since coming ninth in the Legatum Institute’s last security ranking.

Poland — The eastern European state is ranked higher in security than any other sub-index.

Australia —Australia’s lowest ranking comes in the national security and personal safety sub-index, having fallen five places since last year. It remains of the safest countries in the world.

New Zealand — Like Australia, New Zealand ranks lower in national security and personal safety than in any other sub-index. It tops the Legatum Institute’s overall list, though.

Finland —Finland is the first Nordic state to appear in the 23 safest countries in the world. It is also ranked as the best-governed on Earth.

Malta — The small island in the Mediterranean is not just one of the world’s most picturesque countries, but safest too.

Ireland — Ireland has dropped 12 places since last year’s index but remains one of the best places in the world for national security and the personal safety of its people.

Spain —Spain ranks higher in safety and security than in any other sub-index.

Slovenia — Not only is Slovenia ranked as having the best natural environment of any nation on Earth, but as one of safest places to live, too.

United Kingdom — Theresa May’s UK has improved its ranking by 10 places compared to the Legatum Institute’s last index.

Netherlands — Located in the northwest reaches of Europe, the Netherlands just misses out on the world’s top 10 safest countries.

Hong Kong — The United Nations doesn’t recognise Hong Kong as an independent state but it is still one of the safest places in the world. It was ranked the safest place in the world last year, though.

Sweden —frequently listed as one of the happiest places on Earth, Sweden continues to be one of the safest, too. It has dropped 5 places since last year, though.

Sweden fans enjoy the atmosphere ahead of the UEFA EURO 2012 group D match between Sweden and England at The Olympic Stadium on June 15, 2012 in Kiev, Ukraine.

Austria — The small central European nation has squeezed into the top 10 safest countries in the world, having come in at 15 in last year’s Legatum Institute index.

Switzerland —Continuing its tradition of topping lists like the Prosperity Index, Switzerland is one of the safest places for people to live.

Germany — Germany is one of the safest places on Earth, climbing 15 places since last year’s index. This is despite a high terror threat in mainland western Europe.

Norway — Norway ranks highly in security and safety like it does in every sub-index. The Legatum Institute ranks the Scandinavian state in the top 10 for every category.

5. Denmark — Denmark’s position has improved by 2 places compared to the Legatum Institute’s last index.

Iceland — The Nordic island nation is once again ranked highly for security and safety after coming in at number two in last year’s index.

Japan — Japan was ranked at 22 in the Legatum Institute’s last security and safety index, meaning it has jumped a huge 19 places.

Luxembourg — At number two, Luxembourg is ranked as the safest country to live in Europe. It was ranked number 10 in last year’s rankings.

Singapore — The Asian city-state tops the 2016 ranking, having climbed 12 spots since last year. It is worth noting that it scored badly in the personal freedom sub-index, coming 97th.

It’s no secret that Southampton, and the country at large, is under constant surveillance. In fact, we have the most CCTV systems per capita of any country in the world. So, what effect is our heavy surveillance having on crime statistics throughout the UK and specifically Southampton? We’ve taken a look at some statistics to understand better how our surveillance is impacting crime. We’ve also put some thought into how CCTV systems can be used in conjunction with other security systems. Will the use of other security measures help to reduce the amount of crime on Southampton’s streets?

Issues with CCTV systems

Naturally, we’re proud supporters of CCTV systems and are proud of how our systems work to reduce crime, however, there are some limitations. CCTV is impacted by the following:

Location

Primarily, location is the most important aspect of CCTV systems. Placing CCTV in places where there are ‘blind spots’ will allow criminals to take advantage of the fact that they aren’t being watched.

Crime Type

CCTV is more effective in the prevention of some crimes than others. Vehicular crime is often deterred completely by the presence of CCTV. It also has a positive effect on theft. CCTV’s effect on violent crime is more limited due to its often ‘heat of the moment’ nature.

Other Methods in Partnership

Finally, CCTV works best when it’s used in tandem with other crime prevention methods. Whether these are methods implemented by the police in Southampton or a security company, it can’t be argued that increased security methods improve the effectiveness of CCTV. An increase in physical police presence or using a security company for manned guarding or access control will make the use of CCTV as a deterrent more effective.

Find out more about manned guarding!

With these limitations in mind, let’s take a look at the crime statistics for Southampton as a whole.

Southampton: Crime Statistics

According to Police.uk, Southampton has the second highest crime rate of any city in Hampshire other than Portsmouth and is significantly higher than the county average. This makes sense, however, as Southampton is the second most populous city in Hampshire. What’s more alarming is Southampton’s status within the rest of the UK. Southampton rests comfortably above Derby, Reading, Luton, Gloucester, Slough, Hounslow, Cardiff, Eastbourne, Plymouth, Northampton, Bristol, Leeds and Newcastle upon Tyne. The data bounds for these crime statistics list the upper bound at 36.29. Southampton clocks in at 44.18. Clearly, Southampton’s crime statistics are worrying for such a relatively small city. So, how can CCTV be used to drop these damning statistics?

CCTV systems and the effect on crime statistics

According to the College of Policing, a higher level of focus needs to be paid to the location of CCTV. The College of Policing summarises a longer report that yielded the following results.

Car Parks

Six separate UK studies showed a statistically significant decrease in vehicular theft and other vehicle-related crime when CCTV systems were operating in car parks. The number of crimes dropped by an astonishing 51%.

City and Town Centres

The results of the study on city and town centres found a small, not statistically significant reduction in crime. As the reduction was not statistically significant it’s impossible to draw concrete conclusions about its effectiveness. When 15 UK city centres were analysed there was a decrease of 10% in crime.

Public Housing Estates

CCTV in public housing estates yielded a small drop in crime statistics. However, while some estates benefited from the CCTV, the results for other estates stayed the same or yielded ambiguous results.

Public Transport

4 studies on the effectiveness of CCTV on public transport combined showed that on the London underground there was a 23% reduction in crime. However, the CCTV systems were particularly effective in the London boroughs. For the rest of the UK, the findings are more ambiguous.

Recommended Reading: Crime Statistics You Need To Know About

How to make CCTV systems have more of an impact in Southampton?

In order to make CCTV systems have more of an impact on Southampton’s crime statistics, we must take steps to combine the cameras with other security measures. All of the studies looked at by the College of Policing noted that all of the most effective uses of CCTV systems had coupled the cameras with other safety measures. These include better lighting and increased physical presence around the area. CCTV is designed to work as part of a larger strategic approach.

Another thing to consider is that CCTV, while it is a valuable deterrent is not JUST a deterrent. The studies looked at did not consider CCTV’s role in catching and bringing criminals to prosecution. While CCTV may not have prevented the crime from happening, it makes it far more likely that those responsible face justice for their crimes.

Contact us for CCTV systems and other security solutions

If you’re interested in investing in CCTV systems for your place of business, or other security solutions to ensure that you and your staff feel safe at your place of work, get in touch today! We offer a free site survey to ensure that your CCTV is being used to its potential and to let you know of any areas that are in need of extra security measures.

With the recent news that Google’s parent company, Alphabet, are in the process of launching a cybersecurity company, and the scandal surrounding Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, there’s never been a better time to ensure that your business is practising proper cybersecurity. In 2018, cybersecurity is just as pressing an issue as physical security. Data breeches can ruin businesses. Let’s take a look at some of the key ways to ensure that your data is kept safe.

Firewalls and Antivirus Software

It seems obvious, but there’s no overstating the importance of Firewalls and Antivirus software. With new viruses being developed every day to steal your login credentials, erase data or brick your computer it’s important to invest in software that works. Investing in good software on all accounts, creating strong passwords and scheduling time for crucial updates are vital for cybersecurity.

Find out more about access control

Data Backups and Cybersecurity

It’s important to make regular backups of your business’ important data, and also to test that these backups can be restored. This will increase your cybersecurity in the case of physical damage to your building’s computers, from fire or theft, or from cybercrime such as ransomware.

Ensure that backing up your important data is part of your everyday work. Backing up to the cloud will ensure that your data can be accessed anywhere and won’t be affected by anything bad that happens to your office.

Access Control for Cybersecurity?

Once you’ve ensured that your computers are secure, it’s time to look at physical security. Criminals can steal your data by infiltrating your company. Criminals will often try to take control of personal or confidential data in order to damage your business; access control is ideal for preventing unauthorised people from accessing your building and can be considered a key part of cybersecurity.

For more information about access control for your business, or other important physical security measures, get in touch today!

Get in touch with Veritech Systems!

The police crime statistics are in and, unfortunately, it’s not good news. Violent crime and sex offences have risen sharply in England and Wales over the past year. In addition to this, we have also seen increases in the crime statistics in knife crime and robbery. So what are we to make of these worrying statistics? There are a number of interpretations to make of the data we have.

Crime Statistics and the Number of Police Officers

While recorded sexual offences and violent crimes have doubled over the past three years, the correlation between this rise in offences and the fall in the numbers of police officers cannot be overlooked. Between September 2016 and September 2017 the number of police has fallen to 121,929.

While we correlation does not imply causation, it’s undeniable that rises in crime and falling police numbers are putting increased strain on the police force. The Prime Minister has stated that “The independent Office for National Statistics is clear that overall, traditional crime is continuing to fall […] it’s now down by almost 40% since 2010.

However, there are other aspects to consider when it comes to the perceived rise of violent crime and sexual offences; these are:

Crime Statistics Over 40 Years

While the crime statistics for the past three years do look quite damning, it’s important to consider the trends in crime over a longer period of time. The Office of National Statistics notes that crime levels peaked in the mid-1990s. These crimes included violent crime, vehicular crime and burglary. Since the mid-1990s, crime levels have been falling, albeit with occasional minor increases.

Number of reported crimes between 1981 and 2017.

Limits on Crime Statistic Data?

It’s important to recognise that the data we see from police crime statistics can be quite limited. Firstly, because the police can only (naturally) provide statistics for crimes that they’re made aware of. This means that there could be further violent crimes and sexual offences that have not been accounted for.

The Office of National Statistics suggests that the increase in violent crime can be attributed to improvements to police recording processes and practices, more victims recording crimes, as well as genuine increases in crime.

Combating the Increase in Crime

As a business owner and a member of the public, the threat of violent crime and sexual offences will naturally be a cause for deep concern. We recommend the installation of security cameras around your business premises, in order to act as a deterrent for criminals of all varieties. We offer a free site inspection, which allows us to see which areas of your premises would benefit from increased security. For more information about any of our security solutions, get in touch today. We are always happy to hear from you.

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There are a number of benefits that come with using a CCTV system at your business, or even your home. CCTV systems have a broad variety of uses that go beyond simply being used to monitor the exterior or interior of a property. Veritech, a Southampton security company, details the main benefits of using CCTV.

Deter Criminals

One of the most recognised benefits of CCTV is its ability to deter criminals. A criminal that spots a CCTV camera is less likely to take the risk and burgle your premises. One security company has noted that criminals are typically disorganised and will consider CCTV to be an indication that a property is not fit to intrude.

Find out more about CCTV

Peace of Mind

One of the most important, but often overlooked advantages of CCTV is its potential for peace of mind. As so many modern cameras turn to wireless, you can check in on your property from your mobile phone. This allows you to get on with your life, knowing that you can check in at a moment’s notice and that your property is safe in the hands of your security company.

Insurance Rates

Insurance companies are more likely to reduce property insurance costs for owners that take proper steps in protecting their property. Your insurance company will note that you’ve installed CCTV and may reduce your premiums as a result. Additionally, if your property is broken into, CCTV gives you that all important evidence you need to support your insurance claim. This makes your insurance company far more likely to reimburse you for any losses.

Contact your security company for more information about CCTV

If you’re worried about the security of your business premises, contact your security company today. At Veritech, we’re always happy to hear from you and will conduct a full site survey to ensure that your place of operations is adequately secure.

Get in touch today!

If you’re a business that’s looking to deter criminals away from your property, you may be tempted to opt for a dummy security camera. Dummy cameras look great on paper; they look reasonably convincing and can be housed in an authentic CCTV casing. However, this leading Southampton security company is here to tell you why you should never opt for a fake version of the real thing.

Not realistic enough

Unfortunately, criminals typically know what to look for. Your more hardened criminals will be aware of which cameras actually work and won’t be stopped by a fake. Ask any security company – they’ll tell you that most criminals have years of experience in trying not to get caught. This means that they’ve done their homework.

No Proof

Installing a dummy CCTV camera assumes that criminals will be deterred by its very presence. Unfortunately, for more desperate law-breakers, this is unlikely. Once your property has been breeched, you’ll have no way of finding out who the perpetrators are. Furthermore, if word gets around that your cameras are fake, there’s absolutely nothing to stop criminals from breaking in. No security company will advise installing dummy cameras instead of CCTV.

Find out more about CCTV!

Cost Saving?

Ultimately, once you weigh up the relatively minor savings accrued by not using real CCTV cameras versus the amount that can be lost if your business premises are broken into and your valuables are lost, you will see that the savings aren’t worth it. Contact your security company today to find out more about proper CCTV solutions that won’t break the bank but will leave you protected in case of a burglary.

Legal ramifications

While relatively unlikely, the use of dummy cameras can have ramifications for you rather than the criminals you were trying to deter. There have been a number of cases in which the business owner has been sued for using dummy cameras, as people within the property were led to believe that they were real.

Contact your security company for more information about CCTV cameras

At Veritech, we’re a security company that’s always willing to tell you the facts. If you would like any more information about CCTV, or would like a free site survey, please get in touch today!

Get in touch for more information!

There are a number of challenges for a business owner in Southampton. One of the foremost of these is security. An access control system is vital for keeping unwanted visitors out of your premises but how do you let your security company know which access control system is right for you? Access control is important for the safety of your employees and for the assets you keep in your workplace.

As such, at Veritech, we’re here to help you do your research before you make a decision. Here are the key things you need to think about when deciding on an access control system.

Your budget

There is a wide range of access control solutions available, which means that you can expect to see differences in pricing. In order to cater to small and large businesses alike, a security company will likely offer a number of access control systems that will drastically vary in price. As such, you will need to decide how much of a budget you want to allow for your access control system.

The size of your business

The size of your business will determine the scope of the access control system you require from your security company. You need to narrow down your search to suit the number of employees you have at your business. If your business only has 10 employees, it would be a waste of your funds to buy an extremely robust access control system.

Find out more about access control!

How many doors need to be protected?

It’s important that your access control system is designed to protect your entire building. This means that you need to select a system that will cover all of the doors to your premises. If you have unprotected doors, it means that there’s essentially no point to the rest of your access control system. You can also decide if certain doors are for employees only, and some are for contractors and vendors. It’s important to decide how your business’ access privileges should work.

Different types of access control systems

With so many access control systems on the market, businesses have a lot of choices. You can choose the level of technology you want to install. For example, do you want a system that works by security cards, biometrics or key-fobs? All of these are great, secure choices, but some are much more high-tech than others. Other things to consider include:

How many layers of security needed?
What backup processes need to be in place?
Do you need remote access?
Should your systems accommodate regular visitors?

A security company for access control

Choosing the right access control for you can be tricky; as we’ve explored, there are a lot of variables to take into account. For help choosing the right access control system for your business, get in touch today. We offer a free survey of your business space so that we can tell you precisely the security solutions you need.