Business Security – How to protect your property from vandalism & other crime
Business security is one of the most important aspects of owning your own company and vandals don’t only operate in big cities- they can be present everywhere, from towns to villages and even the most rural and unsuspecting of areas.
If you’ve found yourself on this page, it could be because you’re worried about the best security practice for small businesses in order to prevent vandalism. Either that or you, along with many other small business owners, have already experienced first-hand what it’s like to be struck by vandals and you don’t want it to happen again!
What is vandalism?
Vandalism is a broad crime that is used to describe several different behaviours. Generally speaking, vandalism is when a person or group of people deface, alter or otherwise destroy your personal or business property. It can include anything from throwing bricks and breaking windows to spray painting graffiti and lighting small fires.
Vandalism is most definitely a criminal act and punishments vary from fines of up to £2,500 to between 3-6 months in prison, depending on the severity of the crime.
In general, vandals typically carry out their disruptive behaviour late at night when a business property is unattended. They also tend to be under 16 years old, so it’s often necessary for the police to issue smaller on the spot fines as punishment.
Although a lot of the end results of vandalism can be repaired, as with most things, prevention is better than the cure and having in place the correct security systems to deter intruders are key to this.
OUR EXPERTS AT TIMAR SECURITY GROUP CAN HELP YOU TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS SECURE
Reasons for vandalism
Criminals may commit acts of vandalism for a number of reasons such as:
- Express hate towards a business or property
- Boredom
- Communicate an ideology or belief
- Express frustration or disagreement with a business
- Show off artistic ability
Business property vandalism in the UK
Whether you’re looking to protect your home or improve the business security for your commercial property, the same feelings apply. Your property is a hefty investment and a serious asset that you want to protect from all kinds of criminal damage or illegal activity.
In the UK, the volume of criminal damage and arson offences reported reached one million in 2019 as stated in the official government annual report.
It really is essential to understand how best to protect your business from these types of crimes. You need to make sure that your commercial property security is the most robust that it can be, whether that’s through ensuring you’re on top of your intruder alarm maintenance or you have an access control system to get into your building.
Want to discuss the best security systems for your business? Talk to us today.
How to prevent vandalism – Security best practices
Whilst you can’t prevent vandalism from actually happening, you can discourage vandals from attacking your property. Follow these simple steps to minimise the chances of it happening to you and increase your business security.
– Maintain good lighting
You need to ensure your property has good lighting at all times, so this means installing outdoor lights. It’s also key to check your lightbulbs regularly to be certain that they are working when you’re not there, or if you’re near to streetlights make sure that your council replaces bulbs when needed.
– Keep your outside areas clean and tidy
Whilst you might not care if someone wants to take your rubbish away (or indeed, you might actually thank them) but unfortunately, your unwanted items tend to attract vandals. Vandals seem to see disorder and use it to their advantage, especially if they are bored or trying to show off. Remove all your larger, more damage-worthy items by taking them to the local skip and conceal any other waste in large bin containers in a safe space on your property.
Note: In addition, prevent any potential data breach by ensuring sensitive data isn’t left in an easily accessible location
– Create a barrier between your property and potential vandals
The Met Police advise ‘marking out your territory’ so that any random opportunist is greeted with an obstacle instead of an open door to your business. You can do this in a number of ways from building a low wall, fence or hedge to planting bushes and flowerbeds. This sets out clear sections to showcase trespassing and might just stop a passer-by from trying anything dodgy.
The best security systems to help you protect your property from vandalism
Installing different types of security systems around your business property can ensure that it’s getting the protection it needs. What your business needs specifically depends on your property type alongside what it’s used for.
Below, we’ve pulled together some of the best and most common security solutions for you to consider:
Access control systems – automatic gates and turnstiles to your commercial property
Gain some peace of mind by controlling who can and can’t access your business building by installing an access control system. Security literally starts at your front gate and you can install security gate access control systems and even turnstile access control systems which can deter and prevent unauthorised access, vandalism and loss of equipment.
Having an intelligent and trustworthy access control system should be high on the list of any business owner. If an incident or crime happens on your premises, with this system in place, you should be able to isolate certain areas and you’ll also know who is in that area at any given time.
Book an access control security survey with us today. Call us on 01268 857 080 now for a free consultation.
At Timar we offer simple standalone systems for small businesses with a single door, to PC based Access Control Systems suitable for large and medium sized commercial properties with thousands of users.
CCTV systems – cameras to monitor areas of your business
Having CCTV on your property makes it a much less appealing space to vandalise. No-one wants to get caught on camera with a possibility of being identified, so it makes this security system a no brainer for those who want to protect their building and its contents.
There’s a huge range of different CCTV Systems for you to pick from, too. With an option for offsite remote CCTV monitoring meaning that you don’t even have to be in the same country to see what’s going on around your business, to more standard options. With the cost of CCTV coming down as technology progresses, investing in a CCTV security system should be a serious consideration for any small business owner.
We’ve put together another post on “the benefits of having a CCTV system installed in your business?” See here ‘What are the benefits of using a CCTV system in 2020?’ for further information on CCTV advantages.
Intruder and fire alarms – alarms to signal danger or burglary
Installing a comprehensive fire alarm system can be the difference between a destroyed property and some minor fire damage. Although only in extreme circumstances, vandals can start fires at your business and it’s vital to have protection in place to guarantee the minimum damage possible.
Intruder alarms are also one of the best crime deterrents available to purchase for your business security. Businesses should acquire these as a standard practice to protect the valuable information and objects their business possesses. If a vandal attempts to break into your property, this will trigger an alarm that should deter the criminal and notify those around of a break-in. It’s also important to keep up with your intruder alarm maintenance so as not to have any problems, a good maintenance contract can help with that.
At Timar, we design, install, commission and maintain intruder alarms and can even integrate these into your existing Access Control Systems.
Extra tips for securing your business
Aside from an intruder alarm maintenance service, security gate access control systems, turnstile access control systems and CCTV, there are some other tips to note down as best security practice for small businesses.
Whether you’re a shop, office, warehouse or car garage, it can be stressful trying to figure out what’s best for your business when it comes to commercial property security.
– Hide valuable items at all times where possible
Does your business have laptops and tablets on show? Do you have other expensive equipment lying around? Make sure to invest in a safe or another method of hiding your valuables and never leave them in direct view of a window.
– Assess if you are in a high-risk area
It could be that your business property is in a particularly high-risk area to crime. If this is the case, it’s even more important to invest in the right security systems to protect your business.
– Get business insurance
Insurance is key for if anything does go wrong and your business is broken into. However, some insurers require a certain level of security system in order to payout. Make sure you’re aware of what the requirements are and adhere to their rules.
– Check the Locks on doors and windows
If your building is on the ground floor, the correct locks on your doors and windows is vital. Investing in the appropriate locks fitted by an approved locksmith is a cost-effective way to bolster up your security initially.
Reporting vandalism
If you’re unlucky and you do experience vandalism, always make sure to contact your local council to report the act. This will be dealt with appropriately by your local authorities and if you have CCTV systems in place, a possible conviction of the criminal.
Business Security – Conclusion
From the above, you should be pretty clued up on how best to protect your business from vandals and create a secure space. Although vandalism rates seem to be dropping year on year, it is still prevalent in society and acts of vandalism will still continue to happen frequently. The best security practice for small businesses is to invest in the right security systems for you so you can rest assured that your business is protected. If you’re looking for help to protect your business from vandals, or just want some friendly advice on commercial property security then please feel free to contact us either on:- Telephone: 01268 857080
- Email: sales@timar.co.uk
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