Smash and Grab Robberies Aren’t the Only Security Threat
On this blog, we often spend time focusing on how to protect properties from smash and grab robberies. For many reasons, this makes sense. After all, smash and grabs are some of the most common crimes. They affect businesses of all types and sizes and in nearly every geographic location. They also cost businesses millions of dollars each year. Therefore, it makes sense to not only take the time to understand these crimes, but also to learn how to protect against them.
However, smash and grab robberies are not the only security threat that businesses face. There are a number of other key threats including:
Employee Theft
You might not think of it, but employee theft is a significant source of loss for many businesses. There are several types of employee theft, ranging from time theft to information theft, but one of the most common is theft of merchandise. This often happens in retail stores where employees steal items from the stock room.
A good way to prevent these crimes is with access control tools. Locking doors or using physical security gates to restrict access to stock rooms and other rooms that contain valuable merchandise can drastically reduce crime. By using these methods, you can prevent staff who are not authorized to enter the stock room from doing so. If any theft does take place, you’ll know exactly who has access, which will make it easier to narrow down the thief.
Shoplifting
Another common crime that results in significant losses for many businesses is shoplifting. An excellent way to prevent shoplifting is by locking small yet valuable items behind security gates or inside locked cabinets. Criminals often target items (such as razor blades, baby formula, medication, etc.) that are small enough to easily fit into a bag or pocket but still valuable enough to easily resell on the black market.
By locking them up, customer require help from store staff in order to access them. This will significantly reduce the opportunity for shoplifters to steal.
Vandalism
Vandalism is another common crime. While it doesn’t necessarily lead to merchandise or property being stolen from your business, it is certainly costly. Broken windows, damaged storefronts and even unsightly graffiti can give your business a negative image and even force you to close down temporarily to deal with the problem. Then, of course, there is the cost of repairing the damage.
Installing security gates on doors and windows prevents them from being damaged or broken by vandals, which keeps your business secure.
Civil Unrest
Moments of civil unrest may not happen frequently, but when they do occur, they can cause serious issues for a business. One of the most important things to remember about civil unrest is that it often happens suddenly and without warning. Whether due to a political decision, sporting event, protest, world news or other issue, moments of civil unrest often happen suddenly, leaving businesses with little time to prepare.
For this reason, it is crucial that businesses take steps to protect themselves before issues arise. A good way to protect your property is with security gates. These physical security tools make it significantly more difficult to smash windows or damage property.
We have some more helpful tips to improving the security of your business. Download our helpful guide to Improving Your Security Mindset.
