Is your commercial property secure enough? The Office for National Statistics reported that the number of non-domestic burglaries are higher than domestic (231,190 to 211,994 in Apr. 2013 to Mar. 2014), so it’s worth looking at your security. Now is the time, with burglaries a greater threat during the Winter and, with the Christmas lead-in, likely rising for commercial properties. Read our tips on how you can protect yours.
Having a well-lit property is a crucial start. Burglars are more likely to target somewhere where they can sneak in and out of under the cover of darkness. A lack of lighting suggests a general lack of attention to security all over, making a property appear to be an easier target than a well it one.
Setting up signage is the next, simple way of deterring burglars from selecting your property in the first place. A sign indicating that you have a CCTV and alarm system is a given, and it should also be a given that you will have those inside. However, it could still cause less-skilled burglars to think twice, especially if it’s a small premises. It could also be a deterrent to put a sign up that states that there’s no money on site, whether or not that’s true.
Access control can be a useful deterrent to a thief. An access control panel linked to a deadlock should make things challenging for any criminal. It also gives you greater control over your property, allowing you to give out temporary codes to access the property rather than handing out keys which can be misused. If you would rather not have access control, then make sure to have British Standard locks.
It’s also important to be aware of any unusual activity, just as you would be at your own home. This includes people loitering outside a property on foot or in a vehicle, or individuals returning for no apparent reason. The individuals may be scouting out the property in order to burgle it later.
It’s necessary to do more than prevention, though, and it’s obviously a necessity to have an alarm system in a commercial property. It’s worth considering having an automated system rather than just a standard one, though. There are modern systems available that allow you to view the CCTV externally and receive notifications if any activity is detected, meaning that you can always be in the loop as to what is happening with your property.
There may be rooms in which you will need to have higher security in case of a burglary. You should consider, perhaps, having multiple locks on rooms that need particular defence, and focusing your CCTV on these areas. You might even want to do this as a ruse, instead placing important items in a room that appears to be less heavily defended.
It’s also important to remember that not all burglaries will be by people sneaking in during the dead of night. There should be clear indication as to where visitors and staff are not permitted to go, and CCTV should be placed obviously in these areas to dissuade them from doing so.
Don’t forget to use Immobilise and Smart Water, either. This is highly recommended for any property owner, and considering there are greater valuables in commercial premises, it’s near-enough essential. These can help you recover your property if the burglar or stolen property is discovered.
Securing your commercial property isn’t necessarily cheap, but it will be compared to the cost of theft. Make changes now and avoid regretting not doing so later. We can do a security survey for you, making sure you have suitable locks and given you security advice.
Call us for a security survey or any other work on 0800 0612 677