10/ 31/ 2006
Tips for preventing vandalism in your small business
Halloween is here, but youngsters dressed like ghouls, ghosts and goblins aren't the only unexpected visitors that could be showing up at your doorstep tonight. Teenage tricksters looking for a good prank to pull or unwelcome trespassers looking for trouble could be stopping by your business to damage or destroy property. Whether their mischief results in toilet papered trees, broken windows, graffiti or something worse, the damage they do can end up costing you too much--in money and peace of mind.
Next to employee theft, vandalism is the top crime that small-business owners fail to report, according to a U.S. Small Business Administration study. As long as owners can repair or recover property and receive adequate insurance coverage reimbursement, many of them see no reason to report vandalism or implement measures to stop it from happening again. But complacency can be dangerous, especially considering that each vandalism incident costs small businesses an average of $3,370, the SBA study reports. This cost often gets passed on to customers in the form of higher prices to cover losses.
While you can't prevent vandals from ever stepping foot on your property, you can make your business less of an enticing target for mischievous pranksters or mean-spirited menaces seeking to wreck havoc. All it takes is a few simple security measures to scare them away.
Stopping vandalism before it starts
- Leave the lights on. You can't afford to leave every light in your business on, of course, but be sure that you have interior and exterior lighting that makes your store visible from the street. Vandalism is a cowardly crime that often occurs in the dark, so if you shine the light on night prowlers, they're more likely to stay away or, at least, get caught. Install good lighting around doors, windows, skylights or other entry points as well as covers over exterior lights or power sources to avoid tampering. Eliminate or illuminate places where vandals might hide, including trees, shrubbery, stairwells and alleys, and install motion sensor lights or sprinklers in high out-of-reach areas around your business. Use mirrors, surveillance cameras or one-way glass to spook vandals who might lurk inside your business.
- Safeguard windows. Secure windows with locks or metal grates. If you keep high-value items in window displays, you might want to consider installing unbreakable polycarbonate glass to protect your merchandise. You might also want to think about removing expensive items or signs from window displays at night to draw attention away from prying eyes and ensure that police officers on night patrol can see easily into your business after closing.
- Lock it up. Make sure that all gates, outside entrances and inside doors, especially those that are rarely used, have deadbolt locks and/or metal lining secured with metal security crossbars. Use steel padlocks that are kept locked at all times on security doors. Pin exposed hinges to prevent removal and remove serial numbers from your locks to prevent unauthorized keys from being made. Restrict access to your business at night and know which employees have keys. If you have recently released a disgruntled employee or have a high turnover rate, you might want to consider re-keying your locks. Check closets and restrooms before you lock up to keep unwanted visitors from staying after hours.
- Install alerts. Before installing an alarm system, check with various companies about what level of security fits your needs or contact law enforcement for recommendations. Ask your local police department or sheriff's office to conduct a security survey to check the lights, alarms and locks around your business. Make sure that you know how to use your alarm system properly, check it daily and run a test when closing. Train employees on security measures--like procedures for properly closing up your business--but provide them with information about the alarm system on a "need to know" basis and check their backgrounds carefully before hiring them.
- Watch out. Watch for loiters around your business as darkness falls and instruct employees to immediately report any suspicious activity they observe around closing time. If you see someone vandalizing another business in the neighborhood, immediately report it to the police, even if it means taking a chance on being wrong. If you don't stop would-be vandals, you could be their next target. Start a Business Watch that recruits the help of other business owners on your block, community associations and local merchants groups and chambers of commerce. Develop a telephone tree to share information when suspicious activity occurs and post signs and stickers in windows warning vandals that they are being watched.
If vandalism happens to you
If vandals victimize your business, the first thing you should do is call the police. Vandalism is a misdemeanor crime, and culprits, if caught, are forced to pay heavy fines--a sure deterrent to them striking your business again. Next, you should immediately start cleaning up their mess. Replace signs, repair broken windows and paint over graffiti as soon as possible. Prompt cleanup keeps vandals from reveling in their work in broad daylight--thus robbing them of the satisfaction they get from their crime.
Finally, call a community meeting to discuss vandalism--its victims, costs and solutions--and join with others in your Business Watch to address neighborhood problems like poor street lighting, lack of police patrols, parking, etc. Making an effort to hire employees and teenage workers who live in the neighborhood where your business is located and know the locals is another way to keep vandals at bay.
