Commercial burglary, sadly, is something you may fall victim to at some point. If you do, you may need to know how to restore your business security after a break-in.
According to figures from the Government’s most recent Crimes Against Businesses survey, there were 123,000 commercial burglaries in the UK in the 12 months leading up to its publication, and a further 140,000 attempted break-ins. There were also 566,000 cases of robbery, 277,000 incidences of vandalism or criminal damage and a massive 8.9 million thefts.
The figures make clear that although crime against businesses is falling thanks to better security and crime prevention measures, it remains an issue for businesses of all sizes.
And its effects can be devastating.
If your business suffers a break-in, you may not only face the expense of putting right the damage and replacing the stolen items – which may be of high value – it could also have a significant impact on your reputation.
And if customer data is involved, there may be hefty fines for not securing it properly.
Beyond that, it can have an impact on staff safety and wellbeing.
After an incident, yourself and your team may feel less safe or comfortable knowing there has been a security breach, and your business premises may be less secure if you haven’t had the chance to put any damage right.
It can also cause your customers to lose faith in your ability to keep their information safe.
However, if you have suffered a break-in at work, here are some quick and easy steps to restore your business security.
Call the police
This might seem obvious, but the first thing you should do in the event of a break-in is to call the police. Provided there is no-one inside that needs your help, and you’re not in immediate danger, it’s a good idea to wait for the police to arrive before going inside. You don’t want to risk disturbing a potential crime scene or inadvertently messing with any evidence that may help catch the intruders.
Assess the damage
Once you’ve been allowed back into the building, the first step to take after a commercial break-in is to assess the damage.
Look for any immediate signs of forced entry, such as a broken window or door, and get these repaired as quickly as possible. An emergency locksmith will be able to help you board-up any windows or doors and replace any broken locks quickly and easily, to secure access to your building once again.
After you’ve checked the obvious signs, it pays to have a good look around to see if anything else has been damaged or stolen or looks out of place or suspicious.
If you have an alarm system, make sure it still works properly – it may have been triggered and need to be reset, or it may have been damaged by the burglars to prevent it going off.
If you have internal doors or safes, check to make sure they are OK and if you had keys stored anywhere, make sure they are still there.
Keep an inventory of anything that may have been stolen on damaged so you can report these to your insurance company, which you should do at the earliest opportunity.
Re-secure your exterior
If any doors or windows have been forced or broken, get them boarded up or re-secured.
Use an emergency locksmith for this rather than attempting it yourself. They will be able to secure it using the proper tools, techniques and materials to make it harder for a burglar to break back in before you have the chance to replace your windows and doors.
Likewise, if any locks have been broken, a locksmith will be able to fit the best replacements to re-secure your premises.
They can also help repair or replace a broken or faulty business alarm system and advise on any security upgrades you may need to make to prevent a repeat incident.
Most locksmiths are highly experienced and knowledgeable and have, unfortunately, witnessed the aftermath of a lot of burglaries at homes and businesses.
They will be able to spot potential security flaws – such as better external lighting, more robust locks or window shutters – that will help enhance your business security.
Review your security procedures
If you have fallen victim to a commercial crime, then reviewing your security procedures to see what you can learn, it is an important step to take.
Things to consider include how regularly you have your CCTV or alarm systems serviced, whether you have BSI-approved locks, whether you need any other security measures installing and also what you need to do in response to an incident.
It’s also a good idea to do an audit of keys and keyholders to make sure you can account for all the sets of keys that fit your locks – if some have gone missing or you are not sure where they are, it might be an idea to change your locks.
As we always say at Grays Locksmiths, prevention is better than cure. Commercial burglary does occur far too regularly for our liking, but the better prepared you are for it, the less damage to your reputation and bottom line it will cause.
Commercial security services in Derby
Grays Locksmiths Derby has been providing trusted locksmith services to businesses across the city and beyond for more than 30 years.
We are an accredited member of the Master Locksmiths Association and are dedicated to making all our customers feel safe and secure in their homes.
With years of expertise and knowledge about changing legislation and the best products available, we make it our mission to stay ahead of all the latest security trends to ensure you are always getting the best locksmith services and solutions on the market.
To find out more about our products and services, give us a call on 01332 404255 or email sales@derbylocksmith.org.uk.
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