Safeguarding Against Crime: A Small Business Security Primer
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My presentation to the Del Ray Business Association members in Alexandria, VA 2013.
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Safeguarding Against Crime: A Small Business Security Primer
- 1. Safeguarding Against Crime A Security Primer for Small Business Owners Copyright © Margarita L Emmanuelli AN Security 1 2014
- 2. Objectives Understanding threats to business, improving personal safety and security. • Recognize threats • Assess risk • Plan security measures • Implement a security plan 2
- 4. Most expensive security! 4 Purchase security for your actual needs, not perceived needs
- 5. Inspections • Use your checklist • Strike out irrelevant items • Designate egress routes/plan • Emergency procedures (Fire, medical, police) 5
- 6. Preventive Measures • Implement key controls • Change store access when necessary • Move merchandise away from doorways/windows • Look for unknown vulnerabilities during formal inspection 6
- 7. Correct Problems • Clear clutter • Open spaces for better view • Remove safety hazards • Ensure locks and other measures are maintained and are operational • Make strong partners with merchants and police 7
- 9. General Threats • PEOPLE • External • Internal • Reputation 9 • Liability • Geographic location • Transactional • Structural • Weather
- 10. Designing a Security Plan What you need vs. what you want 10
- 11. Solutions Close Circuit Television System (CCTV) 11 Guard Dog Window Security Locks Security Fencing
- 12. Using Video 12
- 13. External Threats • Random visitors • Customer base • Unrelated events 13
- 14. Dealing with the human element 14
- 15. Workplace Violence Prevention 15 • Policies • Management • Enforcement • Respect • Training • Documentation
- 16. Dealing with internal threats • Employee misconduct • Mental health/family issues • Lack of accountability 16
- 17. Theft • Follow through on all incidents • Make no exceptions • Document and report to police The first offense should be the last offense! 17
- 18. Physical Altercations • Try to de-escalate • Let THEM vent • Walk away • Ask them to leave 18
- 19. Lululemon Murder Brittany Norwood Jayna Murray Employee dispute gone bad? 19
- 20. Lululemon Murder • 331 wounds inflicted with six different weapons • 226 of wounds were defensive • Dispute over stolen goods 20
- 21. Verbal Cues “I won’t hurt you if you stay quiet.” “You smell good. You look like you got money” “I’ll give you a ride if you promise not to hurt me!” 21
- 22. Telegraphing Approached by stranger in parking lot early am hours: • Suspect gained her trust • Victim revealed much about herself • Suspect must have made victim nervous 22
- 23. Non-Verbal 23 • The eyes have it • Blinking • Dilated pupils
- 25. Solve Problems Before they happen • Acknowledge customers as they enter the business • Make eye contact • Move about the store • Train employees to monitor customer traffic • Step in for employee dealing with difficult customers • De-escalate arguments promptly 25
- 26. If you carry a weapon • Get certified by training • Go to range often • Remember responsibilities if used 26
- 27. Have a plan • Adrenaline • Tunnel vision • Plan YOUR battle strategy • The bad guys have THEIR plan 27
Editor's Notes
- Today I'd like to address some basic points of interest such as how to protect your business from theft, fire, and personal security. What I do is usually speak to the business owner and listen to concerns (If any) and give recommendations after conducting a threat vulnerability assessment. In English, that means simply that I walk through the store with the owner - and on occasion alone as a customer - to identify and document the many ways the business can lose profits.
- Our objective today is to provide you with basic tools which will help you better identify and correct issues with your business' security. First, you'll need to take the time to walk through your shops to assess potential vulnerabilities exist. What exactly are we to look for in these assessments? Before we move on we will have to break down the process of protecting your business with some basic elements.
- Would you hire a big burly guy/gal to open this container of blueberries for you? Then why buy security products just because we can afford them or because we’re too concerned about unknown threats. Yes, we know if we open the container with too much force the berries will come flying out and you’ll basically lose that five bucks you spent on them. When we prepare to purchase security products or come up with solutions, it is wise to find out first what we need then plan your strategy then implement it.
- But there cannot be a plan without a clear picture of what you need so you will have to do a walk-through of your business property in order to determine what is needed instead of blindly purchasing solutions just because they sound good. This alone can save you money, time, and worry that your business isn't protected. This is an abbreviated version of your basic checklists because in real life those items checked would be specific to your shop. There are three elements to take into consideration: Preventive measures: which means whatever plan you have in place that will reduce your risk of attack or intrusions, slow down break-ins if in progress, or just plain foil criminal activity. Corrective measures: in this case your plan must be sound enough to fix the proverbial leak and get your business back up and running. Either that, or it should at least fix your vulnerability while your store continues to operate. Detective measures: those measures designed to prevent incidents from happening by giving you early warning before they happen. Rather than prattle on about each item, go over your lists and in your mind ask yourselves if this or that applies. Keep those items that pertain to you. I'll look them over after the presentation with you if you'd like.
- One of the worst practices in any business is storing of goods near doorways and entrances. An example of a good security practice is if you have a door near a window where you store or within the main sales floor, move items out of plain view. This alone minimizes an adversary's ability to locate and plan how to steal merchandise. You may also include this principle in displays as your customers walk in the door. Nothing you sell should be near areas where people can conceal themselves for so long you can't tell they have been stolen.
- You may yourselves often how do I avoid shrink and other crimes in my business? The best way to know whether you're at risk or already have been victimized by crime is to list your vulnerabilities. This is best accomplished by getting organized so that you have accountability of your finances, merchandise, and employees. If you're running things on your own you may want to enlist an independent opinion when you organize your affairs to better give you a clear idea of where you will need to go next. First get rid of junk. In general, even merchandise that goes unsold (It's still up on the shelves or hanging off a rack). If you have so much merchandise in your store that you can barely walk through, think of the threats this poses. Not only to you but your customer base. We'll discuss those threats shortly. What do you do with all this stock? Liquidate! There is no other way unless you have storage space available. I realize that storage may not be feasible for some reason but consider making room in your available space. Second, make your work space safer by creating quick egress routes in case of emergency. That means your doorways must be clear or merchandise and furniture. Avoid tripping hazards and also consider carrying fewer items on the floor to prevent fire hazard as well. Third, you should prepare your work space to afford you two main things; a view across space and customers and clear view of all activity.
- We're not quite ready to begin implementing security for your business. At this stage I'm giving you a general idea of how each threat can be prevented or at least managed. Nothing is perfect, but expect good results following careful planning. I'll go over these threats quickly for now then we can go back to them in the next section. Just think about these actors while I go on and try to make your own connections to what you think are your security weaknesses. But first, we have to conduct and inspection of everything so that we can learn how to mitigate threats. What are these threats? The following list is as comprehensive as I could make it without actually knowing what you need. Which is not entirely true because I've spent some time observing and visiting some of your businesses and taken in mental notes of what I thought could be problems. You shall set me straight or agree. External Other people (Transients, tourists) LOCATION (Neighborhood) Customer base Vendors Internal Employees Transaction Cyberfraud Credit card fraud Poorly outlined policies - including key control Closing Cash handling Layout of sales floor Inefficient storage Blocking exits Too much stock/inventory By addressing these factors and others we encounter we can work together in designing
- Don’t be confused by security measure but understand how they can either protect or harm your business. If you for example only install a steel gate in the alley leading to your loading dock but the storefront is pretty much all glass and easily mitigated then your adversaries (Criminals) are smart enough to shift their attention to that instead. Fencing is a good overall measure that should be applied evenly to outside eyes. More sensitive areas within your store must be protected inside in a different way. Fencing would be one layer of security but if you’re in a small store the fence really is one obstacle for your customers. We don’t want to chase them away. The same goes for bars on windows. Then you have to think if there’s a fire how do you get out? If you have bars on your windows then you just removed a potential escape route. Choosing wisely how you spend money on security will help proven these issues.
- Let’s take a look at how to prevent workplace violence. I’m not saying that this is always the case, and since we’re here today to discuss a rise in crime in your areas, I wanted you to also be exposed to problems from within your stores, not just focusing on a masked robber (A stranger) targeting your business. Many thefts happen inside the business carried out by people you know.
- Many employers hire and fire employees over the life of their business. This is part of the deal and cannot be avoided. Sometimes employees are temporary and they simply leave for various reasons and then you have to hire a replacement or they went back to school; it really doesn’t matter what the circumstances always bear in mind that once a person has had access to your business from within, they will carry that knowledge with them elsewhere. Perhaps not your competition, but it happens, and that you also cannot stop however behaviors and business practices which go unreported or are dismissed could be the factor leading to thefts. First have a sensible policy of zero tolerance and be serious about enforcing it, period. There should be very little wiggle room in the case of theft because one violation easily brings about other violations. This is all because if we allow it to happen the first time and fail to challenge it then we’re stuck with it. Second, manage your people. That means that from day one your rules should have been addressed before they even reported for work. They should be given a copy of anything they sign prior to employment up to and including your theft policy clearly outlined in writing! Keep a employee folder someplace in your office and lock it up of course. Also, managing people means you know them well enough that when something happens you have a decent idea of how to discipline or admonish them when they err. If you employ more than one person and they work on the same shift then their personalities will be either complemented or challenged. Keep an eye on that. Third, document everything, the good and the bad. If the employee is doing well and going above and beyond, please praise their performance. Have small tokens (Forms of appreciation) or incentives to show them that their efforts are not going unnoticed. If you’re talking with a customer while your employee is helping them you can praise them in public; that’s a good practice. Not every single time but choose an appropriate opportunity from time to time to praise publicly. Conversely, admonishing people in public is bad business etiquette anyway and must be discouraged. Don’t do it. If there’s a serious problem with a customer step up and handle the matter quickly yourselves and have the employee step away from the confrontation. Take over, that’s your job. They will have more trust in you and perhaps you can build a better working relationship if they see you will go to bat for them. But they must be right, that should be the only condition. Get to know your employee(s) better. If it’s a minor consider knowing their parents and when they do something that totally breaks your rules you may consider letting them know. Whether a theft case is referred to police or not remember that the incident needs to be documented but if you want to keep the theft off the books and dismiss this employee then you should be aware that no one else will know.
- Left argument then returned Felt threatened Fight over texting He did this before and nobody reported it!!!
- Where’s the background issue with these two women? They clearly worked together but something happened that turned one woman against the other leading to a gruesome murder. Why? Witnesses did not get involved over-thinking what they heard and let their brains fill-in the information gaps with what they wanted it to be. If you have the ability to check on a fellow merchant without putting yourselves at risk, please do so. Think if the tables were turned and you’d hope for someone to call police for you.
- Let me get you to think about verbal threats now but from a rather backwards perspective. What can you tell me about this statement? What does it tell you? I'd like to hear some ideas before moving on to the next slide because sometimes when we’re scared or stressed we say what we’re fearing, therefore giving an adversary an unfair advantage.
- Think about what this young woman said to the man who ultimately assaulted her. Usually we would hear the assailant utter some words of caution to his victim but in this case the victim predicted what was about to happen. However, she did not act in fear of her own words. That is to say, while she must have picked up a negative vibe from the man yet strangely enough failed to get away from him. In this case, and speaking only with limited information, the victim sensed something was wrong but instead of warning the part of the brain that makes escape the only option she allowed the man into her car. We often as women see cutting off an individual as rude and unladylike. This miscalculation nearly killed her. All she had to do was say sorry pal, the hospital is a four minute walk. I don't know you. She told herself out loud he would hurt her 'if' she gave him the ride. In reality he did with some body language and verbal combination but we know she ignored obvious signs of danger.