FIRMS are to benefit from a ground-breaking initiative to tackle crime against business.

The Business Crime Reduction Centre (BCRC) – which has been operating in South Yorkshire since 2007 – has been extended to cover West Yorkshire in a bid to help more small and medium-sized firms reduce the impact of crime on their businesses.

In South Yorkshire, the BCRC has helped reduce business crime by 37% since its launch – helping 1,300 SMEs safeguard almost 500 jobs and continue to make a vital contribution to the local economy.

The programme has now secured funding until 2013 and will be delivered across the whole Yorkshire and Humber region – with the aim of achieving similar reductions in crime across Kirklees.

The BCRC project is delivered by Yorkshire-based charity People United Against Crime and the police forces of West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Humberside.

It is part-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund Programme.

Official figures show that 2.3m people are employed in Yorkshire and Humber while 99.2% of all businesses in the region are classified as SMEs.

Yet, the region’s economy and local jobs face varying degrees of threat from business crime. Figures from the Federation of Small Businesses found that 20% of all crime is targeted against businesses and that the average cost of crime against Yorkshire and Humber firms stands at £25,108.

David Ranson, chief executive of People United Against Crime, said: “The cost of crime goes beyond the financial – threatening jobs, closing businesses and putting employee personal safety at risk.

“Crime also reduces business confidence, minimising regional investment and slowing growth.

“Cyber-crime is the fastest growing crime and costs UK businesses £21bn annually.”

BCRC is offering a free service to SMEs in Yorkshire and Humber to check the security of their wireless networks.

A launch event will be held on Thursday at the Marriott Hotel in Leeds. Speakers will include West Yorkshire chief constable Sir Norman Bettison and Meredydd Hughes, former chief constable of South Yorkshire Police and chairman of People United Against Crime.