Improving your Business Security This Winter
The winter is definitely here and that means it’s time to start tackling winter security challenges. You may not think that security is any different in the winter than it is in the summer, but this certainly isn’t the case. Winter represents several unique challenges that need to be considered when you are protecting your property.
Here are a few things that you can do to keep your business safe and secure this winter.
Check your Lighting
One of the main differences about the winter is that it gets darker much earlier. There are fewer hours of daylight and criminals take advantage of this. They know that the likelihood of them being caught in the act or identified by police is significantly lower if they strike in the darkness.
To counteract this, make sure that you have appropriate lighting installed at your property. This will make it more difficult for criminals to hide, even after the sun has gone down.
Make Sure Security Cameras Can Handle the Weather
Outdoor security cameras are frequently left open to the elements. If you have surveillance cameras installed outside your business, make sure that they can handle winter weather. Otherwise, they could freeze or be otherwise damaged by severe winter weather.
Secure Tools
If you use shovels or other tools to clean your property’s entrance or the sidewalk in front of your business, be sure to store them securely. Criminals can use these items as weapons to smash through windows and doors and gain access to your property.
In order to severely limit the effectiveness of smash and grab robberies, install physical security tools such as security gates or bars on windows and doors. These tools put a physical barrier between criminals and your properly, making it significantly more difficult to gain access.
Prepare for Winter Storms
Winter storms can lead to serious problems, including loss of electricity. Frozen power lines and other issues can lead to blackouts and winter can generally cause havoc on infrastructure and security. Make sure that your business has a plan for what you will do if they power goes out as well as plans for other winter emergencies.
Criminals often take advantages of severe winter storms to strike unprepared businesses, so you will need to make sure that you have a way to deal with a power outage or other potential issue and keep your property secure.
Train Staff to Recognize Potential Threats
During the winter, people wear larger and bulkier coats and often conceal their faces with scarves or hats. This winter clothing is usually harmless and designed to keep people warm, but it can also be used to facilitate crimes.
For example, shoplifters often use large coats to conceal items that they have stolen from store shelves. Bulky coats often have many pockets and other hiding places where criminals can stash items. Staff should be trained to watch for suspicious behaviour and to respond properly to it.
Scarves and other winter clothing can be used to obscure a person’s identity, making surveillance camera footage less useful. For this reason, it is important that staff watch everyone in the store closely in order to identify potential criminals and keep an eye on them as they move throughout the property.
We have some more helpful tips to improving the security of your business. Download our helpful guide to Improving Your Security Mindset.
