If you are a business owner, it is vital that you take steps to help keep your office secure from criminal activity. This may include burglary, vandalism, or destruction. In this blog, we detail 8 of our best tips you can deploy to improve the security and secureness of your office.
1) Employ Security Staff
Security staff are trained professionals employed to keep your office secure during and outside working hours. Employing a physical security presence will help deter criminal activity as well as improve the chances of catching a criminal in the act.
Security services available to help deter criminals include:
- Security guards
- Mobile patrols
- Concierge security
2) Install CCTV Cameras
Installing CCTV cameras is an excellent deterrence to criminals. They help minimise the chances of a criminal targeting your office. They also offer additional security by increasing the chances of catching criminals in the act and help identify any individual involved in the burglary.
It is important that you place CCTV cameras in the correct positions around your office maximising the areas covered. You must also consider the lighting around the cameras. Many CCTV systems need sufficient light to clearly capture images.
3) Install an Alarm System
Installing an alarm system is a brilliant way of deterring criminals helping to keep your office secure. Alarm systems work by sending an emergency signal to the police or to a private security company. This signal is only sent if your office has been breached or disturbed. This means that in the event of a break-in, the alarm system deploys a trained individual to your office in the shortest time possible.
Alarm systems help increase the likelihood of catching a criminal in the act. This factor alone means that criminals are less likely to target your building in the first place.
4) Use Effective Lighting Around Your Office
The majority of burglaries take place out of traditional office hours during the evening/night. The use of effective lighting can help keep our office secure during these hours. By ensuring your office is well lit, you can deter people from performing criminal activities. Having a well-lit area is likely to make burglars feel observed and exposed as well as increasing the chances of a passer-by seeing a crime being committed and alerting the relevant people.
The type of lighting you choose should be determined by the risks associated with your area, as well as the current security and surveillance you have in place. A popular form of security lighting includes passive infrared. This lighting is only activated when someone comes into its field of vision and is cost-effective to install.
5) Minimise Valuables and Documents on Display
Minimising valuables and documents on display within your office will help keep your premises secure. By eliminating things on display, you decrease the attraction of burgling your place. Valuables may include computers and electrical equipment and documents may include personal data and secret information.
You can hide your valuables by closing the blinds/curtains. You can also ask staff to put anything on the desks away in a storage cupboard or drawers.
6) Introduce ID Badges for Identification and Entry to the Building
ID Badges are a great way to quickly verify who enters your offices daily. ID badges can also double to control who has access to your building throughout the day. By increasing the visibility and accountability of individuals in your office you promote a more secure environment.
ID badges allow you to understand who has been on the premises on which day and at what time. This can allow you to pinpoint who may be involved in criminal activity helping you understand who is in the building at the time.
ID badges can be used for both employees and visitors. As an extra measure, you can provide all visitors with guest badges allowing your employees to be more vigilant and aware of their movement around the office.
7) Create a "Last Person Out" Procedure
A "last person out" procedure is a common procedure for employees to follow if they are the last to leave the building at the end of the day. This is especially important if you do not have a reception in your office.
A "last person out" procedure may include checking all rooms, doors and windows are shut/locked. They may also need to turn on/off lights and set alarms.
8) Create/Join a 'Business Watch'
A 'business watch' scheme allows property owners to quickly alert police and other organisations in their area about break-ins and other crime. It utilises the concept of having more strength in numbers.
Communication between organisations and security/police can help you to be extra aware and give you an opportunity to put right any security weaknesses at your offices before they are exploited.