(Teleborsa) – In the last 10 years sono Increased thefts in craft shops by 170%., which represent approximately 10% of the total thefts reported to the Judicial Authority. This was revealed by the Studies Office of the Small Business Artisans Association of Mestre, better known as CGIA Mestre which processed the data from the Department of Public Security of the Ministry of the Interior and ISTAT.
If overall thefts are decreasing, the CGIA launches the security alarm in shops and craft workshops. In 2014, the last year in which statistics are available - explains the CGIA - the complaints came close to 106.500 units: between thefts and break-ins it was calculated that an average of 292 crimes of this type occurred per day; 12 every hour, practically one every 5 minutes. And it cannot be excluded that in the last 20 months the situation has worsened further.
In 2004 the number of thefts from commercial/artisan businesses was just over 39.300 units, in 2007 it reached the peak of this last decade: 107.465. In the two-year period 2008-2009, however, the number of complaints recorded a slight fall, even if since 2010 this crime has started to steadily increase again, stopping, in 2014, at 106.457.
"The increasingly massive use of video surveillance systems, railings, armored doors, burglar alarm systems and recourse to surveillance institutions have transformed many economic activities into small bunkers", reports the coordinator of the Research Office of the CGIA Paolo Zabeo, “despite this, statistics tell us that the activities to prevent and combat theft have failed to discourage the bad guys. On the contrary".
Renato Mason, secretary of the CGIA, declares that the most affected regions are those of the Centre-North. Both in absolute terms and in relation to the resident population, Emilia Romagna, Liguria, Lombardy, Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto and Lazio were the realities most affected by this crime against property. Although thefts from economic activities are constant
growth also in the South, the phenomenon in the South has a less worrying dimension than in the rest of the country”
And despite the irreplaceable prevention/contrast action carried out on the territory by the forces of order - reports the CGIA - 77,3% of shoplifting goes unpunished. This means that during the year, only in 22,7% of the cases reported, those responsible are handed over to the judicial authorities.
The territories that present the most worrying situations are the Basilicata (81,4% of crimes where the perpetrator has not been discovered), the Marche (81,7%), the Puglia (82,6%) and the Campania (85,9%). Disheartening data which, unfortunately, has contributed to throwing many economic operators into despair. Especially those who have been robbed more than once. The activities most at risk are those that use cash payments, such as petrol stations, pharmacies, public establishments (bars, restaurants, arcades, etc.), jewelers/watch shops and tobacconists.
No less affected by the action of the offenders are grocery stores, self-repair businesses, bakeries, ice cream parlors/pastry shops, shops selling electronic equipment and household appliances, telephony, clothing stores, hardware stores, costume jewelery businesses, bicycle sales and repairs, hairdressers and beauticians.
The CGIA points out that in 2014 the perpetrators of thefts from commercial/artisan shops reported/arrested were just over 36.700. Of these more than 60% of those arrested were foreigners and about 40% of Italian nationality.
