A theft at your place of business can rob you of much more than the items that were stolen. Your peace of mind, confidence, and your business’s reputation are also at risk. While there are measures you can take to reduce the risk of a business robbery, it’s still important to have a plan in place in the event that you are burglarized.
Best Practices for a Business Robbery
Your plan should be simple and clear. And anyone who works for you should know the steps to take if the business is robbed. To help you get started, here are some best practices that you can implement in your own business robbery plan.
Notify the Authorities
As soon as you are aware of the theft, notify the local authorities. Make sure that all of your employees know that this is the first thing they must do too if they discover the crime. Nothing should be touched or tampered with until after the police have examined the scene of the crime. They are trained to look for clues and evidence that you may not even realize exists. If you already have a security system in place with features such as a virtual guard, then you don’t have to call the authorities because they are automatically notified of your business robbery.
Ask Any Witnesses to Remain at the Scene
Naturally, people who have witnessed a crime will feel shaken. And they may even want to get out of there as soon as it’s safe to do so. But you need to request that any employees or customers who were present when the incident took place, stay to speak with the police. If they refuse to do so or must leave for some reason, be sure to get their names and contact information so that you can pass it along to the authorities.
Block off the Area of the Crime Scene
To further prevent tampering with the evidence, block of the scene of the crime until the authorities arrive. This helps prevent curious customers, bystanders, and employees from accidentally disrupting the scene. And it keeps everyone safe from things like broken glass. The last thing that you want is someone to get injured at your business on top of the robbery.
Show the Police Your Evidence of the Robbery
Once the police do arrive at the scene of the crime, you’ll want to hand over any evidence or details that you have pertaining to your business robbery. If there are witnesses, point the police to them. Give them any details you might have of what the criminal looked like or the getaway vehicle. If you have surveillance cameras installed, then give the authorities the video footage of the robbery.
Avoid Discussing the Details of the Crime
People are naturally curious about crimes. And you may be asked by the media, customers, or even employees what exactly happened. While it’s okay to let people know that you were robbed, you should avoid giving away too many details. If the media is involved, let the authorities answer the questions. And never discuss exactly how much money was taken with curious community members or employees. This something that should remain private between you and the police.
Pro-Vigil Can Help to Reduce Your Risk of a Business Robbery
Pro-Vigil is the undisputed leader in the security space. We’ve prevented over 10K crimes (and counting). In fact, 97% of all incidents are deterred before the police are even called. Contact Pro-Vigil today for a free quote.
