Burglars are only as successful as the people they rob. If you take a few precautions, your home and business will be much less likely to attract them and their sticky fingers.
Prevention starts with an awareness of how burglars operate. Most break-ins happen when burglars can access the building without being seen or heard by neighbours or passersby.
This is usually accomplished by entering through doors or windows that have been left unlocked, open, unsecured, propped open for ventilation, or broken altogether.
Burglaries also occur when entry through doors is gained through means other than keys–either because someone has made copies of keys (a surprisingly easy thing to do) or because someone who works at the site stayed late one night, unlocked the door, then forgot to re-lock it when they left.
Here are some ideas on how you can prevent burglars from breaking into your business space.
Get Deadbolt Locks For All Entrance and Security Doors
A deadbolt lock is more secure than a standard doorknob. The locks come in various sizes, but the person who wants into your business should not be able to get through an ordinary door with just their finger or a credit card because the bolt will not open unless you turn the key from the inside.
If you have keys, make sure they are only accessible to you and/or your employees so they will not be duplicated.
Install a Security System
Most businesses have security systems these days, but the average owner doesn’t use them because either they don’t want to pay for it, or they figure the alarm is unnecessary since their business is just an office in a strip mall and nothing of value is kept on site.
But what they fail to realize is that most burglaries happen at night and the alarm scares off the burglar because there are other people around, lights are on, etc. When no one’s around–such as overnight–burglars are often able to spend hours forcing open safes or tills or simply breaking into them.
Install Security Lights
People are less likely to break into a building if the lights are on, so install security lighting. Motion sensor lights are effective because they go on when someone enters the area. Another option is to install solar-powered lighting, which costs less than hardwiring an electric light and still sends out the signal to someone’s home. Thieves will avoid a building that is lit up all the time.
Install CCTV Cameras
If you have a business, get an alarm system and make sure your employees know to use it. If you don’t have anyone working at night, get CCTV cameras installed outside the building so any suspicious activity can be recorded. It may not be something you can do yourself and in that case, the security specialists at www.247kooi.co.uk can set it up for you.
The recordings from the camera can then help identify any people or vehicles that were in the area prior to a break-in. You can also install CCTV cameras inside the building that will turn on when motion is detected. And if possible, try to place them in the parking lot as well because that’s another favorite spot for burglars.
Perform Background Checks
The majority of burglars are career criminals and conducting a background check on prospective employees will help identify those who have criminal records for breaking and entering, resisting arrest, etc. If your business consists of several buildings that are spread out, such as multiple warehouses or offices, you might want to consider hiring an investigator to check on employees who work in those buildings.
But even if you only have one building and one employee–or yourself–conducting background checks is a good idea because it gives you peace of mind knowing whom you’re letting into your office space. They will obviously not present themselves as such during an interview, so conduct background checks to protect yourself and other employees.
Evaluate Landscaping and Outdoor Features
If you have a business that is surrounded by large hedges or shrubs, it might be possible to hide behind them and break into the building. Thieves will climb over fences, push through bushes, etc., so ensure your exterior features do not make it easy to trespass onto your property. When you look at landscaping as a whole rather than individual plants, you’ll be able to see the big picture more clearly.
Place Inventory Strategically
Burglars don’t just take money and valuables: they’re looking for anything that can be sold easily. And if you have a small business, it’s likely that your inventory is spread throughout the building instead of all in one or two closely guarded areas. You might want to consider placing valuable items near each other so they can be monitored.
If you want to reduce the chance of your business being burglarized, we have highlighted some things you can do. It’s always better to take preventive measures and keep intruders away than to deal with the aftermath.
