Security Tips that Businesses Should Follow This Spring
Spring is here and, while that means better weather and more sunlight, it certainly doesn’t mean an end to crime. It does mean, however, that the nature and timing of potential crimes will change. That’s why it’s a good idea to review your business security plan this spring and make changes before criminals can strike.
Use Physical Security
While there are more hours of daylight during the spring, criminals are also much more likely to strike when it does get dark. During the winter, there is more darkness, but there is also more cold, snow, ice, etc. This bad weather discourages criminals from striking. It also makes it more difficult to commit crimes as ice and snow make working, running, and driving tougher. However, in the spring, weather is generally much more pleasant. This makes it much more likely that criminals will strike.
As mentioned, they’ll still like to work in the dark, which means that crimes will likely happen in the middle of the night when your business is closed and no one is around. In order to protect your property, have physical security tools such as security gates installed. These place a barrier between criminals and your business, which makes a smash and grab robbery significantly less likely.
Check for Damage
Winter weather could have caused damage to your property that you may not even be aware of. Often, winter storms damage doors, windows, screens, locks, exterior lighting, and many other aspects of a business. Fixing this damage quickly is crucial.
Exterior lighting, for example, is important to fix as soon as any issues are noticed. Criminals like to work in darkness, so you’ll need to make sure that your property is well lit. Plus, many video surveillance cameras require good lighting in order to capture useable footage. For these reasons, you’ll want to replace any light bulbs that have burned out and fix any lights that are damaged as soon as you can.
It’s also important to remember that criminals look for locations that have unrepaired damage. Not only does this damage make a property’s security less effective, but it also lets criminals know that the business owner does not place a priority on security. This can make it much more likely that a criminal will attempt a break-in at your business.
Know that Busier Stores Means More Potential Shoplifters
Many retail stores are busier during the spring as shoppers emerge from winter hibernation and head back outside. While this certainly can be good for your sales, it can also mean an increase in shoplifters. Someone who is intending to steal from a property likely won’t try to do so if they’re the only customer in the store. However, if the store has many people inside, criminals are much more likely to try to slip something into their pocket while staff members are occupied.
Make sure that all of your staff are trained to recognize suspicious behaviour and that they know how to handle potential shoplifters correctly.
We have some more helpful tips to improving the security of your business. Download our helpful guide to Improving Your Security Mindset.
