Does Your Businesses Need Extra Security?
In Canada, retail stores, convenience stores and gas stations are the most criminally targeted businesses for break-ins and robberies. But even though those type of spaces are at the top of the list for break-ins and theft, we’ve put together a more extensive list that we’ve found can see a reduction on crime after installing professional security systems.
Even if you don’t see your business type in the list, it doesn’t mean it’s not susceptible, and remember the old adage “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
The Most Criminally Targeted Businesses in Canada
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) reported that half (50%) of small business owners across Canada are seeing a noticeable increase in community crime impacting their everyday operations
Retail Stores and Grocery Outlets
Retail stores carry merchandise that usually can be easily stolen and quickly resold for a profit. Grocery stores also face massive amounts of theft of everyday essentials including meat, dairy and personal care products.
The Retail Council of Canada classifies retail crime as a national crisis, with annual industry losses (shrinkage) from $5 billion in 2018 to $9 billion today, and heavily driven by economic pressures and organized retail crime networks.
Security for retail and grocers should cover the sales floor and checkout areas, and consider keeping stockrooms and delivery entrances protected with security cameras too.
Gas Stations and Convenience Stores
Late-night hours and accessible cash can make these businesses attractive targets. Small, valuable products such as tobacco and OTC medication are easy to carry away, while employees working alone have less immediate support during a robbery. Fuel pumps and other activity outside the store also require attention.
For these types of stores, security cameras should be installed to cover checkout counters, entrances and back doors, fuel pumps and the parking lot, with clear views of faces and vehicle information. Also, if controlled access to staff is installed, it will help protect stored inventory and hinder intruders from attempting to access these areas.
Restaurants and Bars
Cash handling and late closing times create security concerns for restaurants and bars. Alcohol inventory and commercial equipment can attract thieves after hours and during business hours, unauthorized refunds, unrecorded sales and missing stock can all cause losses that are harder to spot than a break-in.
For these types of establishments, you can install security cameras to cover the front and rear entrances, cash counters and access to the kitchen and storage areas. At the bar, video footage can help owners review disputed transactions or other incidents involving customers while individual point-of-sale logins and regular inventory checks can help identify unusual transactions.
Specialty and High-Value Shops
Jewellery stores, collectible retailers, cannabis retailers and pawn shops all hold valuable inventory that can be concealed and carried away quickly. Concentrating expensive merchandise in display cases exposes these businesses to smash-and-grab thefts and overnight break-ins. Losses may also occur during deliveries or when the products are removed for customers to inspect.
For these business types, security cameras should be installed to provide clear views of entrances, back doors, cash registers and display cases. Camera placement needs to account for reflections from glass and bright display lighting. Restricted stockroom access should be applied and overnight storage should be secured as added protection.
Warehouses and Construction Sites
These establishments see lots of theft and fraudulent behaviour and are particularly more expensive. These properties hold expensive tools, building materials, equipment and products with little to no after hours supervision. They also face heavy risks around loading docks and outgoing shipment areas.
Large sites like these need security coverage that accounts for vehicle entrances, storage areas and sections hidden from public view. They also benefit from solutions like perimeter security, licence plate recognition cameras at vehicle entrances, solar-powered security cameras for remote sections and key card or fob access control for restricted storage areas.
Corporate Offices and Professional Firms
Some examples are corporate offices that contain portable assets such as laptops and expensive electronics. Law offices and accounting practices also hold confidential client records. They usually have shared entrances and visitors that move beyond the reception area which can create opportunities for theft during business hours, especially when meeting rooms and workstations are left unattended.
Security for these offices should cover reception, entrances and routes into staff-only areas. Access control can be applied to restrict entry to records rooms and server rooms while cameras should be placed to monitor movement without capturing confidential documents or information on computer screens.
Car Dealerships and Automotive Repair Shops
Auto shops are not at the top of the list, but when they do experience a break-in or theft, it could be expensive. Vehicles, diagnostic equipment and professional tools make automotive businesses attractive theft targets. Repair shops also hold vehicles overnight, usually in an unsecured key cabinet which gives thieves access to several vehicles in one break-in. Outdoor inventory needs protection too.
For shops and dealerships, professionally installed security is a must. Security cameras should be installed that cover vehicle entrances, parking areas, service bays and parts storage areas. Secure key cabinets and a record of who removes each key will help control vehicle access, and outdoor cameras will provide clear views of who comes and goes 24 hours a day.
Pharmacies
Although not too frequently, pharmacies and health clinics are targeted because they carry small retail products that are easy to conceal. Prescription medications (particularly controlled drugs) can attract internal and external criminals that seek products for illegal resale. Staff face theft and potential robbery risks during operating hours and medications are a target after closing.
Security for pharmacies should cover entrances, back doors, checkout counters and the access to the dispensary. Restricted access to medication storage to limit who can reach sensitive inventory and after-hours protection should include cameras placed at rear doors and other entry points, supported by an alarm system that alerts the authorities in the case of a breach.
Manufacturing Facilities and Industrial Businesses
Manufacturing and industrial businesses are susceptible to theft too. Manufacturers usually store valuable raw materials along with finished products that are awaiting shipment. Metal stock, high-end tools and various components are also attract thieves. With multiple entrances and overlapping shifts, this can make unauthorized access or inventory removal much harder to identify without proper security measures set up.
Security cameras should cover loading docks, storage areas, parking lots and vehicle entrances. Individual access should be handled by fobs and card entry systems because credentials help operators review who entered restricted areas.
Checking outgoing goods against shipment records adds another layer of protection, particularly where employees, contractors and delivery crews use the same loading areas every day.
Hotels and Motels
Because a lot of unidentified people can come and go in a hotel, it’s difficult to deter crime and thefts without a decent security system. Guest belongings, hotel equipment and supplies and vehicles in the parking lot are all potential targets for theft. Parking areas create additional concerns when guests leave luggage or other valuables inside their vehicles.
To increase security, cameras should cover the reception area, the entrances and back doors, all parking areas and appropriate common areas while respecting guest privacy. Controlled access to guest floors and staff-only rooms helps limit movement through the property, and any lost access cards or fobs should be deactivated immediately.
Electronics Repair Shops and IT Service Businesses
These types of shops get robbed, broken into and experience theft on a regular basis. They hold customer phones or computers, along with new and replacement products including their own equipment. These thefts are especially dangerous because stolen devices may contain personal information or business records which makes a break-in much more damaging than the store’s hardware loss alone.
For electronic and IT service shops, security cameras should cover the entrances and back doors, the service counters and access to repair areas. Customer devices should be kept in a highly secured storage area when unattended, and limited access should be given staff. Recording serial numbers at intake and verifying the person collecting each device also helps prevent theft and collection disputes.
The Best Plan to Secure Your Business From Theft and Robberies
Business security is important, especially in these unpredictable times. As we mentioned at the outset of this article, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” so we advise that you don’t sit idly back and wait for it to happen to your business.
Depending on your region, call your local business security company, and if you live in Brantford or the GTA. Contact Millennium Security Services can help you put a plan together to ensure the security of your space, and the safety of your guests and employees.