Keeping your Business Safe During Civil Unrest

Large scale protests, moments of civil unrest and even riots and violence can break out just about anywhere. These situations are not relegated to large cities like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Civil disorder and moments of unrest can happen just about anywhere. We have seen this in recent years in situations in Lexington, Kentucky, Keene, New Hampshire, Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, Maryland.

In these instances and many other like them, emotions run high. There are large groups of people who want to be heard. In many cases there is frustration or even anger. When a large group of people congregates, there is always the chance that some of those people could act in unpredictable ways. These situations can sometimes result in property damage, smash and grab robberies, fires and other such incidents that can cause serious damage to your property.

Much like you prepare and take steps to protect your property from fires, floods, storms and natural disasters that you hope will never come, it’s a good idea for you to take steps to protect your property in case of moments of civil unrest as well.

Attention should be given to the following;

• Civil Unrest can Happen Anywhere

  • As mentioned, civil unrest, protests, demonstrations and riots can happen in just about any city or town, regardless of the size. Don’t think that just because your property is located in a quiet town or a low-crime area that you don’t need to prepare for possible civil unrest.

• Remember that Protests can be Unpredictable

  • A protest can start small and quickly grow in size. A demonstration that begins as peaceful and orderly can become animated and even dangerous without much notice. Smaller groups can break off from the initial demonstration and act erratically, damaging property and hurting businesses. In order to protect yourself, you need to be prepared in advance and have a plan.

• The Businesses Damaged Often have Nothing to do with the Protest

  • It’s not always well-known, large corporations that have their properties destroyed during moments of civil unrest. In many cases, the businesses damaged have nothing at all to do with the reason for the protest. From banks and retail stores to restaurants and coffee shops, any and all businesses could become targets during moments of civil disorder.

• Security Film,Alarm Systems, Surveillance Cameras & Security Guards have Limited Effectiveness

  • Security film does not provide the bold visual deterrent, attempts to smash the glass will be made mostly due to it not being visible, broken windows inevitable.
  • An alarm system or security camera may be able to help you stop crime in some situations. However, in moments of civil unrest, there are often very large groups of people present. With all of this activity, a surveillance camera will have a great deal of difficulty capturing adequate footage that can be used to identify those responsible for the crimes in question.
  • In addition, police, security guards and other authorities may become overwhelmed with the size of the situation and, therefore, be unable to respond to all incidents. This drastically decreases the effectiveness of an alarm system. In a moment of civil unrest, there is a good chance that no one will hear your alarm and, even if they do, they likely won’t be able to respond to it.

• Physical Security Provides Protection

  • In order to protect your property during situations of civil unrest, physical protection in the form of security gates is necessary. Security gates put a barrier between your business and the public when needed. This prevents access and makes it incredibly difficult to damage a property.
  • Mobile/portable security gates can be stored offsite, in a warehouse and then be delivered and utilized as required in situations of civil unrest.
  • You can also attach permanent gates to your property. This allows you to use the gates daily for storefront protection from smash and grab robberies and other similar crimes as well as for moments of civil unrest. During business hours,  see how these gates can be easily unlocked and opened, stored out of sight in wall pockets, advertising pockets or other such areas. This ensures that your business remains welcoming to customers during regular business.

By taking steps to secure your property and by effectively utilizing security gates, you can prepare your business for potential civil unrest, should the situation ever arise.

Need help selecting a gate?, please feel free to contact a member of our team. We’ll be more than happy to help you out in any way we can.