It is nearly impossible to eliminate the risk of theft at your business. Therefore, all you can do is ensure that you take the necessary steps to protect all your assets while also minimizing the damage that could arise if an incident occurs.
Burglary is considered the illegal entry into a building to commit a crime, usually theft. Whether you have a small or big business establishment, burglaries cost a lot, leaving a lasting impact and hurting your business. Besides the loss of goods and equipment stolen, repairs and cleaning up can also be strenuous. To prevent these losses, a company should consider investing in cameras, security lights, and alarms to help deter burglars.
We dive into some methods you can use to protect your business from burglaries.
1. Install an Alarm System
Installing an alarm system at your company is the best way to protect it from burglary, theft and even vandalism. With an alarm system, you can closely watch what is happening inside and outside your business. The presence of an alarm system on its own is a suitable deterrent to any would-be burglars.
Security companies offer various options to suit different companies, from small to big, depending on their wants. Before any burglary, most burglars tend to cut wires if they are exposed to disable the system, so it is best to keep wires secured and concealed or install wireless alarm systems. An alarm monitoring service can be controlled and monitored remotely via your smartphone, tablet or PC, and a centralised system will provide 24/7 continuous monitoring.
2. Burglar proof doors
To ensure that you deter criminals from doing a smash-and-grab, you should invest in burglar bars. Burglar bars are a physical barrier that keeps intruders from entering your building. It takes quite some time to gain access to a burglar-proofed building rather than one that is not. During the struggle to get in, you can catch burglars in action because of time constraints on their part.
3. Video surveillance and monitoring
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras provide video surveillance and capture images or recordings of what is happening when you are not around. CCTV cameras deter potential burglars and help protect the business during and after working hours.
Cameras should be placed at strategic locations, and the footage should be stored away from your site while placing them in a way that makes it easier to identify people’s faces. It is, however, advisable to ensure the cameras are not installed in places where employees’ privacy is invaded—an example of this being the bathrooms or any other area where privacy would be compromised.
4. Do background checks on employees
Before hiring new employees, any business should consider doing background checks. This will help in making smarter decisions in hiring and eliminate from the beginning the ones that might cause a significant risk for the business, like those with criminal records. Newly hired employees or contractors with access to sensitive financial information or those who will handle payments should go through background checks as you need to ensure that you can trust them. Most fraud that occurs in the workplace is often committed by those you trust the most. Conducting background checks before will also assist in preventing theft by employees.
5. Regular check on locks
Always check and replace locks regularly in case someone can quickly gain access to the building. You should take the time to track every key issued to employees and ensure that when employees leave a company, they return the keys. Keeping track of keys is especially important when many people have keys as the business becomes more susceptible to risks. The company can invest in smart locks to enjoy benefits, such as access control which is especially important when you have a high staff turnover.
6. Check every point of entry
Burglars often look for opportunities to commit a crime, like open windows, unlocked doors or keys left in vehicles. They will look for another easy chance if they cannot find any. Therefore, to avoid becoming a victim of crime, make it a point before leaving the building to see if all windows are properly closed, and doors are locked.
7. Pay attention to landscaping and outdoor features
When protecting your business, you should not only focus on indoor protection, as the exterior of the building is just as important. Ensure that the outside of your building is adequately lit and well-lit, especially around the windows and entryways. You can also invest in motion-detection lights in areas that might be dark. If you can, you should remove any features that a criminal can use to hide, which include large bushes or tall hedges.
Conclusion
Having your own business is very fulfilling, especially if you take the necessary precautions to secure it. It is impossible to prevent burglaries completely, but if the steps mentioned above are taken, the burglaries will be minimal.
Take a look at A Beginner’s Guide to Security Cameras for Businesses.
