A Guide to Robbery Prevention for Businesses

This handy guide to robbery prevention should help you to keep yourself and your property safe from intrusion.

When planning to undertake a burglary, a criminal must have the ability, intent and opportunity to carry out the offence. While there is little we can do to remove their ability or intent, we can reduce the opportunities they have to commit the crime.

The police in Bermuda recommend that every business has two members of staff responsible for the opening and closing of the business every day, making sure everything is properly locked up at the end of the day. One staff member should lock and unlock the property each day, with the other person double checking to ensure everything is secured.

Complacent staff and flexible shift rules can be a gift for potential burglars. If your staff don’t know what to look out for and don’t have strict adherence to rules, thieves could see this as an opportunity to steal from your business. Installing access control panels around your property will prevent any unwanted visitors from entering your business.

You may want to consider an audible or silent alarm system to workplace to deter potential burglars. Even simply having an alarm installed on your property can send thieves running. CCTV and video surveillance is also great for putting off unwanted visitors and can also help the police track down any thieves in the future and retrieve belongings.

If you’re unfortunate enough to be a victim of a burglary, there are a few steps to take to ensure the damage is limited and to help the police find the criminal.

• Try to remain calm and be observant
• Take a mental note of all physical attributes of the thief
• Avoid taking physical action – you could end up getting hurt
• Comply with the burglar’s requests where necessary to avoid further confrontation and potential harm

Immediately after a robbery takes place, the designated person in charge should phone the police and notify them of the break in. They should also close and lock down the premises and ensure nobody is injured or needs medical attention. Be sure not to touch anything that the robber(s) had touched to avoid contamination.

Taking necessary precautions to avoid a robbery is the best way to keep yourself and your staff. At Selectron, we specialise in commercial security systems, protecting your property from burglary. Call us on today on +1 441 236 4181 to talk to an expert.