Watch out for Amateur Smash and Grab Robberies

When many people think of smash and grab robberies, they think of “professional” thieves. These are criminals who commit crimes regularly. They typically scout out locations for a while before they strike. They also target specific types of merchandise. These criminals want small, yet high value items. They are often looking for items that can be easily resold on the black market for a lot of money: cell phones, make-up, guns, etc.

However, there are also “amateur” criminals. These criminals aren’t tied to organized crime and they do not have any larger criminal affiliation. They aren’t necessarily looking for items to resell on the black market either. Instead, they’re stealing items that they want.

These crimes are often crimes of opportunity. In these cases, criminals don’t scout out a location in advance. Instead, they find a location that seems suitable and then strike. While some amateur criminals may be looking for merchandise, that isn’t always the case. Criminals also look for high value items such as televisions that are used as part of advertising displays, tablets and computers that function as cash registers and other valuable items.

Protecting Against Amateur Smash and Grab Robbers

As mentioned, these criminals seize the opportunity when they find it. For this reason, it’s important that your property features visual deterrents that will cause criminals to move on. Physical security is a huge visual deterrent that also provides incredible physical protection.

If a criminal sees a location that is securely protected with security gates, they will be significantly more likely to move on and look for another target. Physical security is very tough to disable and amateur criminals do not have the tools, skill or time needed to do so. When they see a location that is protected by physical security, they will simply avoid it and look elsewhere.

This is a huge advantage that security gates have over other tools such as window film. While both types of technology make it less likely for a criminal to break into a location, only security gates provide a visual deterrent. With window film, no one knows that it’s installed until a criminal attempts a break in. This means that your property will still likely be damaged in the attempt.

Smash and Grab Robberies Cause Damage

In addition to stolen items, smash and grab robberies also result in damage to the location. Criminals shatter windows, break down doors and destroy displays in the process of committing their crimes. Even if the crimes are unsuccessful, there is still costly damage. For example, in some attempted crimes that took place in Atlanta recently, amateur criminals used rocks to smash the glass on the front doors of several stores. They then tried to steal several televisions that were mounted on the walls. While they were unsuccessful, the criminals still caused damage to the property.

When a criminal attempts a break in, whether they are successful for not, the damage they cause can be very disruptive to a business. You may even need to close your location down for some time in order to complete the necessary repairs. This results in lost sales. By installing physical security tools at your property, you protect yourself and your location from such crimes.