Business crime
Your business: Keep crime out of it
This booklet provides practical information to help businesses identify any security risks and take measures to reduce crime. It will help you carry out a business security survey and give you important tips on how to make your business more secure.
Title: Your business: Keep crime out of it
Author: Home Office Crime Reduction Centre
Date published: March 2005
Number of pages: 42
Availability: Download
this booklet
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This booklet has been produced by the Crime Reduction Centre in in consultation with ACPO-Secured by Design, the Association of Convenience Stores and the Association of British Insurers under the support and guidance of the Home Office Advice and Information Working Group.
To order a hard copy of this booklet email homeoffice@prolog.uk.com or telephone 0870 241 4680, quoting reference 3/05 YB1.
Security Surveying
'Onion-peeling' principle
This simply means starting at the outside and working inwards. The layers of the process are:
The aim at each layer is to delay and put off the criminal and to protect or remove any possible targets.
Preparation
In your preparation you should find out:
If there has been any crime in the area?
If your business or a business nearby has been the victim of crime?
What type of crime has there been in the area?
Is there a business crime partnership, shop-watch or similar scheme in the area?
You may be able to get help and this information from CDRP's, police, local council, local newspapers and other businesses.
When you consider your business you should ask yourself:
What are the possible targets in your business?
What are the threats to each target?
How high is the risk of a crime being committed against those targets?
What would be the effect of a crime against those targets? e.g. financial, staff morale, company image etc.
Environment
This is the area around your business, e.g. the street, retail park, pedestrian area. A well-maintained business exterior will give customers a good first impression and help to increase the feeling of security. A business in a run-down state is more likely to attract a criminal.
You should:
remove graffiti and rubbish quickly
look at things you that might help a criminal, such as trees or bushes to hide behind
try to form partnerships with other businesses to share the security costs
Perimeter
The perimeter is the area between the boundary of the business and the buildings within it. It includes the wall or fence of the boundary.
To secure the perimeter you should:
walk round the whole of the boundary, checking for weak areas
ensure that the boundary is built out of appropriate material and that it is secure and well maintained
secure all gates, doors and other entrances when frequent access is not needed
imagine you're a criminal and look for opportunities for crime (e.g. climbing walls or fences, bins that can be used to climb over a wall or set a light, hiding places, areas with poor light)
secure or remove anything which might be used to break in or cause damage
improve visibility by cutting back vegetation, moving bins or improving lighting
NB - You will have to find a balance between keeping potential offenders out and allowing customers and staff in.
More information on the types of effective boundaries available is given in the booklet.
Shell
The shell is the main fabric of the building, including the walls, windows, doors, skylights and roof.
You need to
think about ways a criminal might get into your premises, such as unlocked doors, cellars, air vents, access from the roof
improve lighting and cut back bushes to make potential offenders more visible
check around doors, windows, skylights, air vents or any other openings to make sure they have been professionally fitted and are secure (including upper floors)
pay particular attention to cellars, loading bays and the sides and back of the business.
The booklet contains more information on how to secure openings, such as the types of doors and windows to use.
Interior
The main things to consider are assets, stock and alarms.
Assets
Make sure that there is a note of the make, model and serial number of each piece of equipment.
Mark all equipment.
High-value equipment or equipment that is essential for your business should be secured in a separate room and access to the room controlled.
A copy of information should be secured offsite.
Fire-resistant safes should store important information.
Computers need to be protected by firewalls and anti-virus software.
Signs can put off a criminal e.g. "No cash held on premises".
Stock
There are a number of simple steps you can take to make stock more secure.
Keep records of your stock and do regular stock checks.
Keep stock away from doors.
Keep high value stock somewhere more secure.
Limit the number of people that have access to the stock room.
Put away stock as soon as possible after delivery.
Alarms
An alarm-receiving centre should monitor alarms, so that calls can be passed to a security company, the police or someone who has a key.
Intruder alarms may need to be supported by other security devices. These can include CCTV, devices that generate smoke (so that the intruder can't see) or chemical marker systems. All technical systems must be regularly maintained and used responsibly.
People
You need to:
train all staff in security and safety and your emergency and security procedures
ensure all personal property is kept out of sight and locked away, e.g. in lockers or a locked draw
protect staff from theft and violence, e.g. screens
check the identity of visitors and people making deliveries
make visitors aware of the security measures you have taken to make them feel safer, e.g. signs. This will also put off criminals.
Staff working alone can be especially vulnerable. You can reduce the risk to them with a few simple measures:
personal alarms
radio link schemes
controlled access or CCTV (with audio)
automatic warning devices which are set off if the person doesn't report in at a set time
regular checks either by phone or in person.
Procedures
Every business should have adequate security and safety procedures. These can include:
locking a delivery door immediately after delivery
staff reporting suspicious behaviour
reducing the amount of cash on the premises
transferring excess cash into a tamper-proof unit
removing cash from each till over night and leaving the till draw open
removing all keys from the premises
taking cash to the bank as often as possible
avoiding paying wages in cash
always counting cash out of sight
procedures for handling credit and debit cards - use chip and pin
Further information on handling credit cards and cheques can be found in the full booklet.
Design software can also be made available to Government Offices, individual businesses, organisations or trade associations wishing to reprint the booklet using their own organisation logo or branding. Contact David.Read@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk if interested in doing this.
Last update: 18 March 2005