Commercial Building Security Tips

Exterior and building:
- Take a look around your building; are there places for the burglar to hide, if so rearrange the environment, in order to deter criminal activity and loitering.
- Ensure proper lighting at night. Is your lighting being concealed by trees or other items?
- Keep shrubbery trimmed below windows and by doors.
- Spot weld pins on hinges or place pins in the hinges.
- Maintain exterior security cameras.
- Secure roof access.
- “In case of an emergency contact” should be displayed on door.
Interior:
- Use alert sensors at doors.
- Keep windows clear of signs and advertisement.
- Use security monitoring equipment (maintain and check monthly.)
- Don’t leave cash in registers (leave registers open at the end of the day.)
- Situate the cash register, so it can be visible from the outside.
- Bolt safes to the ground and close properly.
- Use an alarm monitoring system (check monthly, provide different access codes to employees.)
- To deter theft, don’t leave items close to the door or situate displays in a manner someone could conceal themselves.
Robbery:
- Greet all customers, making eye contact. (Customers like attention, robbers do not.)
- Place color height markers at your doors.
- Be alert of your surroundings when approaching and leaving your building.
- Never re-open your business for anyone after closing. If it doesn’t feel right, contact law enforcement.
- Use bait money. List a few of the serial numbers.
- Use a drop box for deposits.
- Never resist and always comply, immediately call 911.
- Quickly write down a description of the robber and watch their direction of travel or the use of any vehicles.
- Lock your doors and preserve the crime scene.
- Have someone accompany you, when making bank deposits.
- Never respond to an alarm by yourself wait in the area for law enforcement.
- Does the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office have your key holder contact information?