Crime costs businesses $30 billion a year, according to the insurance Information Institute of San Francisco. That’s a pretty big price tag. “Burglary, robbery, shoplifting, employee theft and fraud sometimes can make the difference between profit and loss for a business,” says an Institute spokesman. Presumably, if a company affected by crime is able to stay afloat the cost would have to be passed on to the consumer in one way or another. The spokesman urged companies, as a necessity, “to develop their own battle plan” against crime just as they would chart strategy to cope with a competitor. Most businesses already are wise to routine precautions against crime and with working with police. Why not incorporate into their daily routines every possible element of safety and caution – without in any way assuming to replace police or take over their work? Check these ideas, taken from the Insurance Institute and other sources: Discourage robberies by locking unused doors; by not working alone; if you can’t avoid the latter, have a radio or TV going. Vary the schedule and route of your bank deposits; make several deposits per day; make cash register visible to passersby; develop a mutual aid system among stores on your block. Shoplifting is a $2 billion a year industry. Alert employees oft-times are the best defense in foiling thieves. Make sure you can see everything that goes on in your store: keep counters low; mount mirrors in corners; make it hard to leave the store without paying. To keep burglars away you must make their work more difficult, risky and low-profit. Consider joining with other businesses to hire a uniformed guard or at least a watchdog. Light up dark areas around doors and windows. Doors should have deadbolt locks. Account for all keys and restrict access to only the most trusted employees. A good alarm system can scare off burglars and silently alert the police. Employees can play a big role in the cost of crime, including their honesty in detecting violations. Embezzlement can go from simple overloading of expense accounts to payments made to nonexistent suppliers, to complicated juggling of books. An employer can never be too careful in hiring and supervisory practices. On the other hand, stable, trusted employees can amount to an invaluable asset and the first line of defense against fraud and other crimes. Fraud against business costs roughly $13 billion a year, with checks and credit cards as two of the troublesome aspects. The important thing for any business, according to the Insurance Institute, is to recognize potential problems at an early stage and take initiative before real trouble develops.,