What to do after a Retail Store Break-in

Your retail store has been broken into, what do you do now?

It’s something that you never want to happen and, break-in-288 when it does, it happens suddenly. You see it when you go into work in the morning or you get a call in the middle of the night from your alarm system company or the police: Your store has been broken into.

What do you do?

Obviously this is a low moment for you. Valuables are missing from your store. Your property has probably been damaged. It’s probably also an emotional moment. You’ve put a lot of time, money and effort into your store, so you hate to see this happen. However, despite the emotional situation, it’s important that you try to stay composed and focused. Know what to do after a retail store break-in. There are certain things that need to be done following a break-in and you’ll want to be sure that they get done.

If the police have not already been informed of the break-in, contact them right away. You should do this even before you enter the store if possible. As soon as you realize that there has been a break-in, call the police. If you haven’t gone into the store yet, don’t. Stay outside or go to a nearby location until the police arrive. This will ensure your safety and prevent you from accidentally damaging evidence.

If you arrive on scene and the robbery is in progress, you may be tempted to try to stop the criminal. This is very dangerous and seriously not recommended. Instead, stay outside away from the store and call the police.

Once the police say that it is okay to enter the property, review the situation and determine what has been stolen or damaged. This is also a good time to call your insurance company. They will want to know the extent of the damage or loss. Be as accurate as possible when listing what has been lost and provide this information to the police and your insurance company. Take notes as needed. Take pictures of any damage. This information could be valuable to both the insurance company and the police.

Review any security footage you may have. If you have surveillance cameras installed, review the footage for details about this crime. Provide this information to the police and your insurance company as needed.

Security After a Break-in

Once you have completed the work needed with the police and the insurance company, you will need to get any necessary repairs done. In the case of a smash and grab robbery, your front window or door could be seriously damaged. You will need to get emergency repairs done as quickly as possible in order to have the shortest possible interruption in business. Your insurance company may be able to help you get these repairs done.

The next step is to work on improving your security in order to reduce the likelihood of a break-in happening in the future. Review your property and audit your current security situation. Look for flaws. It may be tempting to focus on the recent crime and to take steps to prevent only this type of crime from happening again. However, it makes much more sense to utilize a comprehensive security approach that focuses on deterring criminals and preventing future crime. Remember, the next break-in will likely be different from the one that just happened.

Storefront security gates are a must when it comes to preventing smash and grab robberies. These gates roll or fold out of the way during business hours to maintain the welcoming appearance of your business but they can be locked at night to deter criminals and provide a strong layer of physical protection.

You will also want to make sure that you deal with a responsible and knowledgeable security company when it comes time to choose a security gate. The company you work with is important as not all security companies and security gates are created equal.

If you 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.