Businesses in the northwest and Yorkshire, which think they have lots of security measures in place, when night falls and the workforce heads home, should think again, according to a northern security contractor.
Sector Security, which is 20 years old this year, is urging businesses to take their lead from hit songs from 20 years ago. It warns that setting an alarm, closing window grilles and fitting CCTV, just isn’t enough and that out-of-hours back-up is essential when it’s oh so quiet.
Sector Security, with offices in Preston, Manchester and Leeds, points to the 2013 Commercial Victimisation Survey for support for this point of view. This survey by the Home Office focused on crime perpetrated against three types of business: wholesale and retail, accommodation and food, and arts, entertainment and recreation.
The survey found that 55 per cent of thefts from wholesale and retail premises took place at night. In 29pc of cases these were thefts by employees and in 26pc it was an unknown person who was responsible.
When it came to vandalism, this was more likely to occur at weekends. Some 10pc of instances happened per weekday day, when levelled out, compared to 24pc per weekend day. In 62pc of cases in the wholesale and retail sector, the vandalism was to buildings.
Robberies were typically carried out by lone males. Almost one in ten resulted in employees being physically injured. Some 13pc of robberies involved a knife being carried as a weapon, while a firearm (gun or imitation gun) was used in 9pc. In 3pc, the robber carried something else, such as a baseball bat or piece of piping.
The North and Yorkshire and Humber together had over 26,000 incidents of crime per 1000 premises. Most, 88pc of the premises surveyed in the wholesale and retail sectors had a burglar alarm. Nearly 76pc had protective window and door measures. In almost half of cases these were bars, gates, grilles, or shatterproof glass on windows and doors. Around the same number had shutters on windows or doors. Some 27pc had security window or door locks.
The survey also found that rates of crime were higher for premises with security measures installed than they were for premises with no measures. The Home Office survey concluded, “the presence of security measures has not fully offset the risks of victimisation.” This same conclusion was drawn for premises in the food and accommodation sector and the recreation sector.
With IT and physical security measures failing many businesses in the north, Sector is highlighting the advantages of mobile patrols. Business parks can become deserted landscapes at night and weekends, so the random arrival of a mobile patrol can be a real deterrent to criminals.
Sector’s mobile patrols are operated by uniformed personnel, driving liveried vehicles that instantly send out the message that they are focused on security and crime prevention. With the addition of warning signs on site, or on perimeter fencing, the mobile patrol can be a useful ally in the fight against business crime.
The mobile patrol guards can complete attendance sheets, noting what they saw on site and at what time. Satellite tracking reports can confirm where the vehicles were, and at what time, or tags can track when a vehicle reached the site. Clocking devices, on a smartphone platform, provide further assurance that the mobile patrol is arriving and leaving the site at regular intervals.
Sector Security’s Commercial Director, Dirk Wilson, says: “The Home Office Commercial Victimisation Survey states in black and white that the presence of traditional security measures is not protecting businesses in a large percentage of cases. This means that a business that wishes to stay safe needs to introduce a human element into the scenario. The unexpected arrival of a mobile patrol car, which does not follow any one pattern of arrival and departure, is a real deterrent and one that many businesses are now recognising to be the only real answer to business security. Our mobile patrol customers will testify to the effectiveness of this service, so if you are worried about your business and recognise the need to protect stock, buildings and personnel, please get in touch.”
More information about Sector can be found at www.sectorsecurity.com.
