SecurityWise: Crime Prevention – don’t be the focus of criminals
15 Jan 2021
As we continue to see a downturn in the economy during these unprecedented times in which we find ourselves, it is inevitable that criminals will continue to focus their efforts on the Jewellery trade. TH March provide us with some practical advice to help you protect your staff and the business.
Night-time:
The statistics regularly provided by Safergems clearly show a persistent trend in the occurrence of ‘hole in the wall’ burglaries and the intelligence suggests that these attacks are often carried out by highly organised gangs.
Even with substantial physical security measures in place, access to a property is often gained through a solid wall in a matter of minutes. Be aware that an unoccupied property adjoining your premises provides a perfect shelter for criminals to attack a party wall undetected.
It is also a good time to assess the coverage provided by your intruder alarm and associated security systems. In addition to movement detectors, door contacts and glass break detectors, the installation of vibration detectors on perimeter walls and ceilings can help trigger an alarm activation at a crucial early
stage. It is also recommended that your intruder alarm equipment positioning is reviewed if social distancing screens have been installed on retail counters as blind spots in movement detection may have been created.
As well as providing excellent daytime protection, security fogging systems can be instrumental in preventing theft losses at night when configured to operate in conjunction with Intruder Alarm systems.
Daytime:
The snatch method has been popular with criminals for many years and the fact that it is now mandatory that face coverings must be worn in shops has only encouraged an increase in activity.
A good set of procedures will help prevent these incidents from occurring. It would not be unreasonable to ask customers to briefly lower their face covering in view of a CCTV camera before entering the shop. Be alert for customers who appear nervous and for those making ill-thought out enquiries.
Extra vigilance should be exercised when pre-owned luxury watches are being shown as these continue to be a prime target, especially Rolex and Breitling. If possible, these should be shown to a customer as far from the door as possible and only when you are satisfied that the customer’s enquiry appears to be
genuine.
If used correctly, a controlled door entry system can provide an effective deterrent, especially where a two-door system creates an ‘Airlock’ with one door needing to be closed before the other is released. For single-door systems, a procedure should be adopted for granting access to the premises when a higher value item is being shown to a customer. It is common for criminals to work in pairs with one viewing an item and the second entering and holding the door open to allow the first to make their escape. A coded phrase could be used between staff members when a customer asks to see a high value item so that a colleague can move closer to the shop door to help deter a snatch attempt.
Whilst numbers of armed robberies and window ‘smash and grab’ attacks have reduced recently, these are still very real risks and your team should stay on full alert, especially at opening and closing times. Those initially entering the premises should not have access to the safes and mobile personal attack alarms should
be carried. Also, consider where high value items are displayed and try to spread these around window and internal display units as this will help to reduce the risk of an incident.
For further information or assistance, contact TH March on 01732 462886.
SecurityWise is a joint TH March and NAJ campaign aiming to raise awareness, increase knowledge and improve security throughout the jewellery trade. As insurance brokers, we can offer advice on risk management and security as well as your insurance policy cover.
Find out more about TH March Partnership benefits
Read more SecurityWise advice articles
Source: TH March