Today we are going to answer the question ‘What Do I Do If My Business Is Vandalized?’
A 2020 article from the Washington Post stated “… police chiefs report business burglaries are surging as thieves target shuttered establishments and fewer cleaning crews are working in office buildings at night. He said commercial burglaries drove the overall burglary rate up nearly 44 percent in Seattle, 41 percent in Denver and 17.5 percent in New York.”
At Loc-Doc Security, our Mission is to help you protect your people and your property.
We recently had a customer that experienced a smash and grab break in and their property was vandalized. This can be a stressful situation but we can learn from it by sharing how we helped solve our customers problem and how to protect your business from break ins and being vandalized!
Problem: A restaurant was broken into in. Burglars smashed a glass door to access the property.
Solution: A Steel Metal door with Half Glass that was Laminated and Reinforced to help prevent Smash and Grab Break ins.
Step 1: Take Action – Board it up!
One of the first things to do once assessing the situation is to take action and secure the opening.
Boarding up the door can help to immediately secure the building. It can be easily done with plywood on your own, or we can do it for you. Make sure to take pictures of the damage and fill out a police report.
Step 2: Decide – Do You Repair or Improve?
The next step is to decide whether the door can be repaired or if it should be improved. Smash-and-grab burglaries can cause property damage because of the violence used to enter the property.
In this case the customer decided to improve the door instead of just replacing the glass that was broken to enter the building.
Step 3: Solution – A Custom Solution based on the customers needs?
One of the questions we had was “Why Can’t you just replace glass?” or “Why not a Full Steel Door?”
Our customer still needed to be able to see out of the door to provide service to their patrons. After discussing several options, we improved the opening with a Steel Door and Laminated Glass.
Safety and security window film installed on a window is an invisible, but strong, layer of defense. It helps prevent smash and grab thefts and improves safety concerns caused by broken glass.
We also added a push bar to exit but not enter to assist their needs with closing time. Having a push bar to exit means patrons can exit the building safely (and is code compliant) and also ensure the safety of employees closing up for the night with out anyone entering the premises.
Step 4: Preventive Measures
So how do you prevent break ins or smash and grabs at your business? Here are a few tips with some preventative measures.
Keep It Neat: Keep your premises clean, tidy, and free of trash. Disorder attracts vandals.
Ensure Good Lighting: Make sure your property is well-lit at night. Check light bulbs regularly.
Install Security Cameras: Install video cameras to monitor activity on your premises. When crimes have occurred, police can use your recorded video to catch the perpetrators.
Install Break-resistant Glass: Glass that is break-resistant or coated with laminate or security film is stronger than regular glass and difficult for vandals to penetrate.
Consider Shrubbery: Shrubbery can discourage vandals from entering your property. Shrubs that have prickly or scratchy leaves like holly and pyracantha can help keep intruders away.