With retail businesses alone, the British Retail Consortium’s report of 2013-14 found that there were five robberies per 100 stores, with an average cost per incident of £1,280. So, with one in 20 stores experiencing some form of robbery, it quite literally pays to consider the aspects of your premises’ security that these burglars are looking to exploit.
While this may seem like an obvious avenue of security for a burglar to breach – and an even easier one to prevent –you would be surprised at the sheer volume of burglaries that occur this way. Through a simple lapse in concentration, or a blatant disregard for the cheekiness and potential agility of burglars, windows and doors can be left open. Whether it’s gaping, or whether they’re on the latch, it’s an invitation that burglars are begging for, so make sure you’re not the unfortunate soul who answers their prayers.
Premises
It’s widely accepted that premises must boast an alarm and CCTV for improved security purposes. While this may not deter the more brave (or stupid) burglars out there, it will certainly put your building on a no-go list for many. Many businesses even opt for fake alarms in order to save money, but the cost-effectiveness of simply opting for a high quality security system is obvious. Also, bringing it back to windows and doors, invest in solid and reliable ports with quality locks; at their mere sight, these can serve to stave off any curious intruder… although the more dedicated won’t care what security measures you’ve undertaken!
Valuables
It can be difficult to hide the valuables of a business premises; people have their desks, you have products on display for sale, and so on. However, where possible, keeping desirables away from your window, and ideally secured down, can certainly help to limit the accessibility of your valuable possessions, and can even serve to stop a have-a-go intruder fancying their chances.
Hospitality
This may seem a little conniving and manipulative, but we are talking about burglars… It’s not unknown for intruders to take advantage of your business’ hospitality through dressing up as a utility person and scoping out the potential for entry. As such, make sure that you and your team are aware of what visitors are expected and to report any unauthorised visitors along the appropriate chain of command. It may seem a little over-protective, but with an average £1,280 stolen per incident and 1 in 20 retail premises being targeted, is it something you can afford to take the risk over?
Risk assessment
To discover areas of your property that are the most susceptible to burglary, the most efficient way is to conduct a risk assessment. This risk assessment will enable you to analyse which areas of your premises are lax in security, and thus the areas that a burglar is likely to target. Unfortunately there is no fool proof response to the question, “What does a burglar look out for when deciding whether to burgle your premises?” Sometimes you can do the same security checks day in, day out, and it’s the one day that you don’t action it that a burglar will leap on the opportunity and capitalise on your momentary lack of thought. Supplementary security devices, such as CCTV or security doors, are excellent for providing that added barrier against intruders; but what can be considered arguably more valuable is their provision of peace of mind.
Having faith in your premises’ ability to ward off burglars is priceless, which is why it is of great advantage to address any potential security breaches that you can consider. Through tackling any of the advice listed above, and through remaining vigilant, you have already fought and won half the battle.
This article was written by our guest contributor Abacus Shutters. Established in 1981, Abacus Shutters have been providing products to a range of industries throughout London for decades.
