Staffordshire Police

Report the crime

If you believe that someone is still in the building or that there is immediate danger to you or your staff, please call 999.

If you arrive at your business and find that a crime has occurred but there is no indication that the offenders are still present, call the Staffordshire Police single non-emergency number – 101.

The operators will put you through to our dedicated Business Crime Advice Line where you will talk to a specially-trained operator.

Make a note of the details

You will need to give the police as much detail as possible, so try to be prepared when you call. Information that could be useful includes:

• is there any Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) that could contain evidence?
• are there any witnesses?
• is there any other evidence?
• has property been moved?
• has there been anything left by the offenders?
• has anything been stolen?
• can you provide information about any stolen property such as serial numbers, value of the property or details of property marking? 

Contact your insurance company

When you contact the police, we will give you a unique crime reference number. Quote the reference number when contacting your insurance company so it can process your claim.

You should also quote the crime reference number if you need to call the police again about the same crime. This will help us deal with your enquiry as quickly as possible.

Evidence

In some cases of burglary, the offender may leave behind some valuable evidence in or around your building such as fingerprints, blood, hair or cigarette ends.

If there is a chance of us recovering any evidence, we will tell you what to do to help preserve it. For example, we may ask you and your colleagues not to touch an item or to carefully move an item into a dry and secure place. You should keep any CCTV recording of the original incident, as this could be a vital part of the evidence at court.

Recovering your property

It is important that all valuable items in your workplace are clearly marked. There are a number of ways property can be made easier to identify if it is taken – please contact your local crime reduction officer for more details through our switchboard, on 101.

If we recover property stolen from you, we will examine it for evidence. We will look for evidence such as fingerprints, hairs or blood to help us catch the offender and to link your crime to other crimes.

All the property we identify is returned to the lawful owner as soon as possible. In some cases, we may need to keep hold of the property - as an exhibit for court or for further analysis, for example.

If we keep hold of property we will tell you the reasons for this, and when you can expect to get it back. We will keep your property in a secure store. If you or your representatives need to examine it to assess damage, for an insurance claim for example, then your investigating officer can arrange this for you.