Although the seminar had been organised months ago, it is particularly timely after a string of break and enters into local businesses over the last few weeks.

Up to 12 local businesses fell victim to thieves last week with cash missing and damage to their properties sustained, as reported in the Queanbeyan Age.

Queanbeyan Police senior constable Naomi Nemec acknowledged the current trend in break and enters, and said they had also seen an increase in retail theft.

"The seminar was started because break and enter has been identified as a problematic crime in our area according to the BOSCAR statistics," she said. 

"The business safety seminar is a way we can provide information to people in our area to reduce this statistic."

The seminar will provide business owners with strategies to prevent them from being a target of crime as well as ways to detect and prevent shoplifting.

Senior constable Nemec said simple things like ensuring the premises is locked up properly and not leaving cash on the premises can make a difference.

"The aim of the seminar is to provide information to managers and staff in relation to their rights on bag searches, banning notices, citizen's arrest and how to make their premises safer by preventing break-ins," she said.

"A lot of it is simple. It's what we call crime prevention through environmental design which at its basic level is the presentation of the store. We also touch on security measures like CCTV and back to base alarms."

The seminar is the first in a series of workshops aimed to educate local residents and reduce crime as part of the Queanbeyan City Council Crime Prevention Plan 2013 - 2015.

The crime prevention seminar will be held on Tuesday, April 8 at the RB Smith Centre from 5.40pm to 7.30pm. Please RSVP to Senior Constable Nemec at mont1nao@police.nsw.gov.au or call 6298 05555 by the end of March.