Frederick Jace
Criminals are more likely to target business premises over residential properties, as they often feature expensive equipment, large sums of money, and valuable data. If your company has experienced a break-in, your premises may experience a similar attack in the future.
Eliminate workplace vulnerability and make staff feel more protected by finding ways to secure the building, your staff, and the equipment. Here are five steps to take after a business break-in.
Step One: Call the Police ASAP
Calling the police is one step you mustn’t overlook following a break-in. Never attempt to enter the building yourself after receiving a security alarm notification. Instead, notify the police, who will then hopefully catch a trespasser in the act.
Also, the police will inspect the building for signs of entry and may review any footage to identify and track down a burglar. It will increase the likelihood of recovering stolen items, money, or data, while also ensuring a criminal’s arrest.
Step Two: Communicate with Your Team
Don’t try to hide a break-in from your team members. They will likely suspect a burglary has occurred, and they have a right to know about the security vulnerabilities of the premises.
The news might create a tense environment for your employees, but you can ease their worries through reassurance and a new security plan. Communicate the steps your company plans to take to safeguard its team, technologies, and data, such as improving the door locks or installing a new alarm system.
Step Three: Secure the Building
Once the police have left the scene and your employees know about the break-in, you must attempt to secure the building. For example, you may need to board up broken windows, change the locks, add deadbolts, and change the alarm code numbers. It will provide peace of mind that a trespasser cannot access the building with a key or code.
Step Four: Add New Security Features
New security features will improve your building’s physical security while making your employees feel safer at work. In addition to changing your security systems, locks, and codes, you might need to prevent trespassers from gaining access to your premises.
For example, install quality commercial fencing to shield off your workplace, such as palisade or weld mesh fencing. Also, you could strengthen the fencing with razor wire to prevent trespassers from attempting to climb over the panels.
Step Five: Contact Your Insurance Company
It is crucial to contact your insurance company within the first 24 hours of a break-in. After notifying them of a trespassing incident or a burglary, an insurance company will talk you through the claims process. Also, they will request a verbal account of the crime, a crime number, and an approximate estimate of the loss of goods or premise damage.
It is wise to take photographs of the crime scene to support your claim, as it will increase your company’s likelihood of receiving the correct sum from your insurer. Also, they might organize for a claims inspector to visit your business to assess the building’s damage.
