Convenience stores, variety stores, corner stores and other such businesses are frequent targets for criminals. In addition to robberies and shoplifting, convenience stores are often targets for smash and grab robbers. In these crimes, criminals use force to break through windows and doors and quickly rob the property before the authorities can arrive.
There are a number of reasons why convenience store crime happens.
- There are often only one or two staff members working in a store. Criminals take advantage of these small numbers to strike.
- The smaller size of the store (compared to a big box retail store, for example) makes it easier for criminals to quickly steal items are leave the store without giving the authorities time to respond.
- Many convenience store purchases are made in cash as opposed to credit card or debit transactions. Criminals know this and they take advantage of the fact that there may be large amounts of cash in the store at any given time.
- Convenience stores often hold small yet valuable items such as cigarettes. These items are easy to carry from the store and yet they can be very valuable on the black market.
Convenience Store Crime
Criminals leave chaos and destruction behind when they execute a smash and grab robbery. The goal of these crimes is to steal as much as possible in the shortest period of time. They will break windows, damage doors and destroy display cases and shelving in order to get what they want. This damage costs convenience stores a great deal of money. Not only does the store lose the merchandise, but there are also significant costs associated with repairs following the break-in.
Convenience store owners will also be faced with lengthy conversations with repair persons, police officers and insurance company representatives following a robbery. This takes quite a lot of time and the store may even need to close for repairs, costing the business owner even more money.
For these reasons, many convenience stores have installed security measures to protect their properties. However, in order to provide the most effective security, it’s important that security tools are layered with physical security.
For example, an alarm system on its own can alert the authorities, but most convenience store crimes are over in a matter of minutes if not seconds. It doesn’t take a criminal very long to smash through a window, steal hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars of items and flee the scene before the police can arrive.
A security camera can capture footage that could help police identify the criminals after the robbery, however this does not prevent the damage and destruction from occurring in the first place. Plus, many convenience store robbers wear masks, hoods or scarves to obscure their faces on camera. This makes it very hard to identify the criminal.
By combining your security tools with physical security gates, you add an extra level of security to your convenience store. This drastically helps to reduce crime by deterring criminals from ever striking in the first place.
Security Gates and Convenience Stores
Criminals do not want to spend a long time trying to break into a store. They want to take what they can get as quickly as they can get it and leave the scene before police or security guards can arrive. Physical security gates make it significantly more difficult to steal the items in question. This slows criminals down, resulting in fewer attempted thefts.
Security gates are not just effective for securing doors and windows. They can also be utilized to protect valuable items such as cigarettes. This makes it much more difficult for criminals to access valuables. By placing cigarettes and other valuable items behind security cages, you make it much more difficult for criminals to steal them. This reduces crime since a criminal does not want to spend a great deal of time at a crime scene. The longer they are in the store trying to get through your security, the more likely the police will arrive in time to catch them in the act.
About Quantum Security Gates
Since 1997, Quantum has been a provider and distributor of high quality physical security tools. We focus on delivering a superior product at an affordable cost while delivering the high level of service that our customers deserve.
To speak with a member of our security team about your convenience store or other retail location, please do not hesitate to contact us today.