Research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows nearly 40% of members think a successful prosecution would be unlikely in the event of a break-in, theft or related crime against them.

The survey also calls into question the accuracy of figures related to crimes against businesses, which could be underestimating the problem. It found nearly a quarter had never reported a crime against their business.

Asked why, 46% said they didn’t think it would lead to a positive outcome. That figure has not changed in six years, said the FSB.

Mike Cherry, national chairman of the organisation, said: “Here is still a long way to go in understanding and addressing the true extent of the problem.

“Crime affects all businesses, but it impacts smaller firms the hardest as they cannot absorb the unexpected costs. The fact that businesses are not reporting crimes shows a real breakdown in trust and confidence in the police.”

The report also revealed the worrying extent of cyber-crime targeting small businesses. Two-thirds of respondents said they had been targeted in the last 24 months, compared to 48% who said the same about conventional crime.

On average, those impacted have suffered four cyber-attacks and three non-cyber crimes in that time.

To combat the problem 41% have installed or upgraded security systems to protect their premises, an increase of 25% on 2010 figures. Meanwhile, only 3% of respondents said they had no cyber-security measures in place.

Elections will take place on 5 May to appoint 41 new regional Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) across England and Wales. The FSB has created a manifesto for incoming commissioners. Measures include:

• Placing business crime at the heart of local Policing Plans with clear business crime objectives.
• Increasing the interaction between the small business community and their local police force.
• All PCCs to conduct a routine survey of local businesses on policing matters, akin to the ‘Business Attitude Survey’ in London.
• Encourage more businesses who are victims of crime to report it by taking measures to break-down some of the negative perceptions of doing so.
• All forces to use the new business crime definition based on clear guidelines about what qualifies as a business crime.
• Map and publish comparable data on the number of business crimes in each area (reported and detected) to enable small businesses to compare the performance of different forces.
• Invest in cyber investigation capabilities for every force. This may involve hiring in external expertise where needed to deal with the growing number of incidents.