An office robbery is a scary thought, and it can happen to any business, no matter how big or small. But statistics in the United States show that your office is likely to be a victim of one.
The United States has one of the highest instances of property theft. There were nearly seven million property thefts reported in 2019 alone. That’s about 1 in every 36 households. If you include commercial sectors, about 1 in every ten businesses will experience a robbery. Thankfully, there are steps you can take if you find your office being robbed. Here are some of those steps.
Safety First
The first thing you need to do is make sure everyone in your office is safe. Tell everyone to stay put and lock the doors if the robber is still on the premises. If the robber is gone, do a headcount to ensure everyone is accounted for. Once you know everyone is safe, call the police.
Gather Information
Gather as much information about the robbery as possible. When the police arrive, they will want to know as many details as possible about what happened. Try to remember everything you can, from what time it happened to what the robber looked like to whether or not they had a weapon. The more information you can give the police, a better chance they have of catching the person responsible.
Take Stock
Take stock of what was taken. Once the police have left and things have calmed down, take a look around your office and see what, if anything, is missing. Make a list of everything taken so you can file an insurance claim and start replacing items essential for your business to function.
Review Your Security
One of the best ways to prevent another robbery is to look closely at your security procedures and see where there might be room for improvement. Are your doors locked during business hours? Do you have security cameras? Is there someone monitoring them at all times? If not, now might be the time to invest in some additional security measures.
Talk to Employees
An office robbery can be a traumatic experience for everyone involved. Make sure you talk to your employees about what happened and offer them any resources they might need to deal with the event’s aftermath. You might also want to consider offering them additional training on handling a robbery should it happen again in the future.
An office robbery is a scary thing that no one ever wants to deal with—but unfortunately, it’s something that can happen to any business owner at any time. You can keep your business safe from robbery by taking the necessary steps above. However, some of the best steps you can ever take is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Here are ways you can do that.
Install an Access Control System
One of the best ways to prevent office robberies is to control who has access to your building. Install an access control system that requires keycards or entry codes, and ensure those keys and codes are only given to trusted employees. This can limit the number of people with access to your office, making it harder for a potential robber to enter in the first place.
You have various options when getting an ACS. First, you can check the internet for packaged EAC software. This should have everything you need to control who has access to your building, but you’ll have to install and manage it yourself. Another option is getting a physical ACS through a company specializing in security systems. They can handle the installation and maintenance for you, but it may come at a higher cost.
Secure Your Valuables
Another way to prevent a robbery is by keeping valuable items out of sight and secure. Don’t leave expensive items like laptops or jewelry in plain view—lock them up in a safe or secure filing cabinet when not in use. And if you have items that can’t be locked away, consider getting insurance so they can be replaced if you get robbed.
Hire Security Guards
Hiring security guards to patrol your office can also be a good preventative measure against robbery. They can monitor the premises and spot any suspicious behavior, potentially stopping a robbery before it even happens. This option may be more expensive, but it can give you peace of mind knowing that someone is always keeping an eye on your office.
A robbery is one of the terrifying things that can happen to a business owner, but by taking steps to secure your office and valuables, you can hopefully prevent it from happening in the first place. And if it does occur, take the necessary steps to ensure everyone’s safety and start recovering as quickly as possible.