Protecting your business from robbery
Security Equipment
All of your security equipment should be professionally installed and maintained. Unfortunately, police often attend robberies where security equipment was installed poorly or not well maintained, resulting in the equipment not working when it was most needed. When investing in security equipment consider the need for regular maintenance and urgent repair / replacement. If equipment becomes faulty it is important that it is repaired or replaced as quickly as possible.
CCTV
CCTV is a vital tool in the fight against crime and regularly provides imagery that secures convictions of offenders. Unfortunately, there are still many CCTV systems that are of little or no use simply because the imagery is not good enough to identify offenders. Simple changes can greatly improve the images provided and lead to greater assistance in the investigation of any offences.
When installing a CCTV system or reviewing your existing system there are a number of questions that you need to answer.
What is my CCTV system for? This is an important question as your CCTV needs to be fit for purpose. If you claim that the system is to identify offences and offenders the imagery from your system needs to reflect that. Good, clear head and shoulder images of any person entering or leaving your premises, the persons image needs to fill 120 per cent of screen height. Preferably from a camera that is positioned at such a height that it provides head-on view rather than a ceiling-down. Images obtained from this standard play a significant part in the detection of offenders.
The issues around CCTV are complex and this document will only provide basic information. The CCTV users group have produced a user guide which is available at http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/media/pdf/l/q/CCTV_Home_and_Small_business_Guide.pdf
- All CCTV cameras must be recorded: Unless it is being monitored, CCTV is only valuable for the images it has recorded. All recording equipment must be secured and facilities should be available so that recorded images can be passed to police quickly.
- Where possible, images should be recorded at 25 frames per second: This is real-time recording and means that an event can be recorded in its entirety without gaps. This can be essential in violent incidents.
- All cameras should have a clearly defined purpose: Each camera needs to have a defined purpose; these can be identification, recognition, monitoring and detection. A camera should be placed near the door facing inwards, to capture a good head and shoulder image of everyone leaving the store. Cameras should cover all vulnerable points including till and safes. Positioning of cameras is vital!
- Dummy CCTV Cameras: Do not install dummy CCTV cameras. CCTV is most effective in two circumstances: Firstly, if the system is monitored and people are able to respond to incidents. E.g. where store detectives are directed to people acting suspiciously by CCTV operators. Secondly, CCTV is effective in post-event investigations, where imagery is used to identify offenders and what has happened. Dummy CCTV cameras provide no imagery and do not assist police in investigations.
Remote Door Locks
If your business is open late in the evening you should give consideration to the installation of a remote locking device, sometimes referred to as a Maglock. This device allows you to control who enters the premises and has been used to good effect in some retail type sectors e.g. jewellers, bookmakers and others. The device should be used at the times of highest risk, normally towards the latter part of the evening and at closing time.
Alarms
Consideration should be given to the installation of intruder and hold-up alarms. Full details can be found on the BSIA website. Hold-up alarms, sometimes referred to as panic alarms, should only be used immediately prior to an attack or during an attack and then only when it is safe to do so. The hold-up alarms should not be used following an attack. The hold-up alarm only provides police with an address and the fact that they are needed urgently. Following an attack always use the 999 system. Your call will assist police with the exact location, the nature of the offence and details of suspects and any weapons involved. Passing on this information quickly can result in the early arrest of offenders.
Safes
A safe for your store is a good investment. Many premises use a safe with an ‘insert’, the insert is a safe within a safe, both safes should make use of a time delay system. Many offenders do not like to be on premises for extended periods, as this increases the risk of them being caught. The use of and advertising of time delay systems is a deterrent which is widely used. The police have a 12 minute target for responding to emergency (999) calls; the time delay should take this into account. The longer the delay can be set, the better. Twenty minutes is a good minimum. However, there must be clear signage that staff do not have unrestricted access to the safe. This should be clearly displayed on security signage (described above) and on the top of the safe.