Secure your business from recession related crimes

(20/03/2009)

Landlords, Property owners and Tenants are being urged to secure their windows and doors during the recession. With more properties being vacant and more people out of work, recession related crimes are more likely to be a probability that a possibility.

“We have noticed a larger portion of our call-outs have been related to recession related crime recently. Examples of our recent jobs would include opportunist and planned break-ins, theft of data, theft of equipment” says Jerry from Lockaid, a national security company dealing with emergencies and preventative works.

“We know security is a cost center, and traditionally there has been difficulty in articulating ROI on security expenditures. The problem here is security is more important than ever, and a company's information and physical assets are perhaps even more vulnerable.”

Hard hit industries, such as financial services would a prime example where a disgruntled employee who had been recently made redundant, chooses to take advantage of the weak fire exit door round the back for example.

Managers should carry out a due dilligence check in their current security

1) Main front doors should have secure overnight locks, many business owners don’t realise that most access control systems are not sufficient to keep people out. Multi-occupancy buildings cannot have key operated deadlocks, as they present fire risks.

2) Install locks with restricted keys – if you give a key to an employee, and its a copiable key, they could go away with the key, cut a copy, and give you the original (so that you think you have your key back). That person can now go and sell the keys to your property to the highest bidder, or help themselves should they be disgruntled by your company.

3) To meet insurance standards front windows on ground floors should have key operated bolts.

4) Rear fire doors should have thumturn locks fitted, as key operated locks are ilegal. Panic bars alone are not sufficient – what most people don’t know is that there are only certain locks that you can put on a fire exit (most of which your insurance company will scream about) A professional locksmith will be able to guide you.

5) Have the correct safe installed? Most safes do not cover both Data and Security. There is a difference between the two types of safes.

6) Alarms – having the correct alarm can be a great deterent. Lockaid can provide very economic wireless alarms that will call the owners mobile phone when activated. Both for Home and Business usage.

7) CCTV – having CCTV provides another deterent, having recorded evidence of break ins, or vandalism will certainly put them off (and your ex-employees will know about it).

Related topics:  CCTV system and accessories   Door entry systems and locks   Intrusion detection   Locks and safes   Security guarding   Sensors and detectors 

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