By Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre

helpful tips

How to better secure your business during COVID-19

Mar 28, 2020 | 8:00 AM

The Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre is offering tips for businesses looking to make their properties more securing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As businesses close and are sending staff home, this will mean that businesses are empty and there are fewer ‘eyes on the street’ to notice and report suspicious activity to the RCMP,” says Janise Somer, Program Development Coordinator. “The Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre, in partnership with the RCMP, would like to remind businesses to consider the following crime prevention tips during this time.”

– In addition to exterior lights, keep the lights on inside so that when the RCMP are doing their patrols at night, they can see inside your business. Also, remove anything, like posters, retail display racks and similar, from the windows as to not obstruct the view into your business.

– Remove all cash and receipts. Don’t leave donation boxes on the front desk, cash boxes with “floats”, or safes at your business. Empty out cash registers and leave them open or put the empty cash try out to show there is nothing in it.

– Remove client or staff personal information that could be stolen and used for identity theft.

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– Don’t leave any valuables visible or accessible. Remove computers, projectors, and other valuables from your office and take them home.

– Remove all alcohol products from display and put the inventory in a locked storage area, or remove it from the premises.

– Consider posting an “All Valuables & Cash Removed” sign on your door.

– Remove material around the exterior of the property, such as wood pallets, bricks, ladders, or metal poles, that may be used to gain entry.

– To increase security, consider installing security film on accessible windows and glass doors to increase glass integrity from blunt force, and we always recommend full astragals on exterior doors to discourage the use of tools to pry open the door. Also, exterior doors should be adjusted so there isn’t a gap for a tool, such as a crow bar, to be easily inserted.

– Ensure the emergency contact list is up to date on any alarm monitoring system.

– Make regular site visits to monitor your shop/business. Consider not doing this on a regular schedule so observers cannot figure out an established pattern.

Should you want any further information on how to secure your business while you are shut down, please don’t hesitate to visit our website, call us at 403-986-9904, or email us at info@cacpc.ca.