TOTAL ASSET PROTECTION - A BUSINESS OWNER’S GUIDE TO PREVENTING INTERNAL THEFT

Sep 14, 2026

A comprehensive guide for business owners focused on preventing internal theft and other asset-diversion activities that cause significant losses. It addresses the security gap faced by small and medium-sized companies that may not have dedicated security professionals on staff. The publication emphasizes prevention-based concepts for building and strengthening company loss-prevention programs. It outlines practical approaches intended to reduce failure risks, protect business assets, and support safer operations through continued reference use and incident response planning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages77

Reading Time27 min

AccessFree to download

Letter from Governor Schaefer

Preface

Table of Contents

TOTAL ASSET PROTECTION A BUSINESS OWNER'SGUIDE ToPREVENTING INTERNAL THEFT 153722 U.SDepartment of Justice National Institute of Justice This document has been reproduced exactly as received from theperson or organization originating it.Points of view or opinions statedin this document are those of the authors and do not necessarilyrepresent the oficial position or policies of the National Institute ofJustice. Permission to reproduce this copyrighted material n mi-croflche only has been granted by.aryland Governor's Executive Advisory Council 153722 to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service(NCJRS). Further reproduction outside of the NCJRS system requires permis-sion of the copyright owner. | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | | Prepared by:
THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Marshall M.Meyer,Chairman | | | | | | TOTAL ASSET PROTECTION A BUSINESS OWNER’SGUIDE ToPREVENTING INTERNAL THEFT Prepared by: THE GOVERNOR's EXECUTIVE ADVISORY COUNCILMarshall M.Meyer,Chairman IN CoOPERATION WITH THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC&EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENTMark L.Wasserman,Secretary IMPACT OF CRIME ON BUSINESS INMARYLAND TASK FORCEFrank J.Napfel,Co-chairmanKai R.Martensen,Co-chairman SPONSORED IN PART BY THESMALL BUSINESS CENTER DEVELOPMENT NETWORK December,1994 | “THE MORE PEOPLE WHO OWNLITTLE BUSINESSES OF THEIR OWN,
THE SAFER OUR COUNTRY WILL BE,
AND THE BETTER OFF ITS CITIES AND TOWNS;
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVEA STAKE IN THEIR COUNTRY
AND THEIR COMMUNITIES
ARE ITS BEST CITIZENS.”
--JOHN HANCOCK | | --- | WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFERGOVERNOR Dear Business Person: As I read the quote by John Hancock,I realize how fundamental our smallbusinesses have al-ways been to the economic fabric of our society,and to the values we honor.This is even moreapparent today,as our economy becomes more diverse,and many of our former corporate giantsfind themselves "right-sizing"and looking outside the corporate structure to accomplish func-tions formally handled internally.The entrepreneurial spirit that fosters the growth of smallbusi-nesses has always contributed to new job opportunities.Obviously,our economic future will bebleak if this core sector of our economy is not encouraged to continue the rapid growth it hasenjoyed over the last decade. I am deeply concerned that many published surveys reveal that many small companies do notsurvive the first five years.Although these businesses fail for a variety of reasons,it is welldocumented that a third fail because of losses caused by diversion of assets,commonly termedinternal theft.This deviant behavior actually encompasses many other damaging activities. We have support systems to help small and medium size business owners cope with many tradi-tional business problems,such as the Small Business Development Center and other programsoffered by the Department of Employment and Economic Development.Until now,however,there has not existed in Maryland a source of information for small businesses facing the threatof internal loss. I have asked that this important publication address those internal security issues often faced bysmall to medium-sized businesses who do not have a security professional on staff.It is my hopethat a careful review of this material and its continued use as a reference guide will help Mary-land's businesses prevent internal security problems,and will serve as a blueprint for respondingto these problems when they do occur. It is my personal commitment to provide a positive environment for the creation and growth ofall businesses in Maryland.I hope this publication will be a valuable tool in producing that envi-ronment for you and the success of your business. Sincerely, Nul7Pou f Governor PREFACE When this project was initiated many months ago,it was thought we would merely gather statistics re-garding the incidence of various offenses and then issue a report concer

FAQs

Why does the guide focus on internal theft for small and medium-sized businesses?

It highlights that many businesses fail within their first five years, and a significant portion of losses comes from diversion of assets commonly called internal theft.

What is the aim of the guide’s prevention approach?

It seeks to provide practical concepts that can enhance an existing security program or serve as a foundation for a total loss-prevention program.

Who is the guide intended to help?

It is designed for both novice and professional business owners, especially small to medium-sized firms that may lack a security professional on staff.

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by River Wang