Top 10 Tips for Business Related Crime Reduction

Earlier this month, Martin Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) announced that crime has fallen by a staggering 20% during the UK Coronavirus outbreak. Despite the drop, many businesses that have implemented working from home policies remain at risk due to low footfall levels in towns and cities, which would normally dissuade break-ins.

While Colmore Business District’s security team continues to work hand-in-hand with the local authorities and conducts regular patrols throughout the area, businesses can do their part to ensure their premises remain safe.

These top 10 tips will assist you to reduce the opportunity for crime to occur at your business premises. The best approach in considering these tips is to honestly assess your own circumstances regarding your perceived vulnerability and risk. It’s best to survey your business from the perspective of a would be criminal; where are your weak spots and concealed areas? Based upon your findings you may want to implement all or a few of our tips to make your business more secure.

Tip 1 – Target Hardening: Making your premises harder for criminals to access by upgrading your doors, locks and windows. Keep safe online by ensuring your devices are regularly updated, have anti-virus software and are protected with strong passwords.

Tip 2 – Target Removal: Ensure any potential target is out of sight. For example, desktop and laptop computers are off desks and locked away. Be cautious about the messages you put online, as these may well indicate you will be off site for some time.

Tip 3- Reducing The Means: Removing anything that could help in the commission of an offence. For example, leaving tools, ladders or wheelie bins in places that can assist an offender to gain access to your premises.

Tip 4 – Reducing The Payoff: Reducing the profit criminals can make from offending. Security marking your property, and advertising you have done so, makes it less attractive for people to buy property they believe is stolen.

Tip 5 – Access Control: Measures that help to control who has access to your premises. Locking gates, doors and windows to your property and security equipment such as barrier and ID Cards also limit access opportunities.

Tip 6 – Surveillance: Improving the overt surveillance around your business premises to deter criminals. This includes CCTV cameras and removing obstacles such as high fences or foliage.

Tip7 – Environmental Change: Ensuring your business premises looks well cared for. Graffiti removal (Colmore BID can assist with this) and replacing broken fixtures creates the impression that the premises is frequently monitored and improved.

Tip 8 – Rule Setting: Creating and enforcing security policies, and positioning appropriate signage. Policies and signs inform people of what they can do and where they can go in a business premises. Policies regarding opening/locking up procedures, money on the premises, challenging unknown visitors etc make premises a hostile environment for criminals.

Tip 9 – Increase The Chances of Being Caught: Increasing the chances that a criminal will be caught. Using good quality CCTV, security alarms and dusk-to-dawn security lighting deters criminals.

Tip 10 – Deflecting Offenders: Deterring or deflecting a criminal’s intention to commit crime. Removing the dependency on committing crime by means of signposting to drug/alcohol treatment services, referring vulnerable people into support services for housing, education/training and work are often successful in diverting people away from a criminal lifestyle (Colmore BID Security Team frequently engage and refer individuals into treatment and support services).

For more information on accredited security devices and further crime reduction advice visit https://www.securedbydesign.com/