Protecting your Property from Smash and Grab Criminals
Smash and grab robberies are crimes where someone smashes through a door or window and steals property from a business. These crimes are very common as they do not require specific tools or skills and they can be over in just a few minutes.
Criminals often target small businesses for smash and grab robberies as they assume that these businesses do not have appropriate security installed.
In some cases, this is true. Many small businesses do not have the level of security tools required to keep themselves safe.
If you own a small business, you may believe that installing proper security tools is too expensive. Small businesses often have to make choices regarding expenditures and, often, business owners decide that they do not wish to spend money to protect their properties.
There are several different issues with this manner of thinking.
The first thing to note is that adequate security doesn’t have to be expensive. While there is certainly an expense associated with installing any type of security tools, this expense does not have to be prohibitively high. In order to keep costs reasonable, its important to look at the different security tools available and to choose the ones that best suit your particular business.
One of the most cost-effective – and functional – security tools for a small business is physical security gates. This is because they place a physical barrier between your property and the criminals who wish to gain access to it. This makes a smash and grab robbery much more difficult and much less effective.
The Cost of Not Being Secure
While some small business owners may incorrectly assume that security is too expensive, many also fail to properly estimate the costs associated with a break-in.
If your business is the victim of a smash and grab robbery, it will be very costly. First of all, the damage to your location (broken windows, damaged doors, etc.) won’t just be expensive to repair, but it will also take time to complete these repairs. During this time, your business may have to close down. This costs your company in the form of lost sales and a damaged reputation.
In addition, the merchandise stolen can very quickly add up. Smash and grab robberies can be over in just a few minutes, but criminals can steal a lot in this short amount of time. In many smash and grabs, criminals take whatever they can find and quickly leave the property. However, some criminals specifically target small yet expensive items that can easily be carried out of a location. This includes electronics, tools, alcohol, medication, make-up and other beauty products, and much more. In just a few moments, a criminal can steal thousands of dollars in merchandise.
This is why it’s so important for small business owners to protect themselves with physical security. Criminals often look for locations that do not have adequate security installed. If a criminal comes upon a location that is protected with locked security gates, he or she will likely move on to another business. It simply isn’t worth the hassle or risk to a criminal to strike a secured location when they know that many businesses lack proper security.
We have some more helpful tips to improving the security of your business. Download our helpful guide to Improving Your Security Mindset.
