Crime prevention is one of those ever-present business goals every company wants to achieve. No business wants to be on the receiving end of vandalism, malware, theft, or sabotage – yet standard solutions, such as crime prevention by camera alone, are no longer enough to cut it.
To protect their facilities, business owners should consider the value of dedicated crime prevention security systems and how these solutions support top-to-bottom protection throughout a business.
Crime Prevention Security Systems
Crime is a legitimate concern for businesses of all sizes, and incidents strike when you least expect them. These crimes may be small in scale, involving petty theft or vandalism, or they may be larger, involving fraud, grand larceny, or large-scale property damage. Many are crimes of opportunity. However it happens, business crime represents a significant risk to your financial assets.
Research detailed in the Journal of Management and Marketing Research points out the struggle of business security, noting that the risk of crime is something that business owners have struggled with for years. In one survey, 75% of businesses reported at least one incident of crime on its premises, with an average incident rate of three and a half events per business.
But it’s not just money at stake – the business’s entire livelihood may be at risk from these events. In the above report, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that crime may be a factor in as many as 30% of all business failures.
And while business security systems have certainly improved over the years in stopping national crime, companies are still at risk. Theft, vandalism, and burglaries are all legitimate dangers for businesses. In one survey, nearly 9% of small businesses experienced a burglary or theft in a given year.
To fight back against crime, companies need to explore security solutions that cover all their bases. Modern security approaches leverage time-tested physical defenses alongside real-time monitoring to ensure your business is protected at all times.
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The economic and social impacts of crime are bad enough – but according to research, crime has a significant effect on the psychological well-being of business owners. And why wouldn’t it? Companies victimized by crime may spend weeks – or months – restoring the direct and indirect damages done to the business’s assets and reputation after the fact.
When business owners think about physical security systems, they tend to imagine simple systems composed of cameras, intrusion alarms, and access control systems with badging. A security camera system is an essential security risk mitigation tool, but it’s only the beginning of what modern business security systems have to offer for crime prevention.
Top-grade security systems go beyond basic crime prevention solutions to create a full-fledged multi layered security infrastructure. These systems may include:
- Cameras tied to central command centers, with real-time, around the clock monitoring
- Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled monitoring tools for remote guarding
- Access control systems tied to video cameras across all facilities
- Two-way communication and event tracking
- Instant emergency alerts connected directly to law enforcement
- Fast incident resolution with priority responses from police and security teams
- Daily reporting of significant events from the previous shift.
Let’s look at an example to better understand how this system goes beyond the basic video cameras in a crime prevention paradigm.
If this digital security system detects an active crime in progress, agents can send direct notifications to local law enforcement personnel informing them of the issue. As law enforcement prepares to respond, the security agent will debrief the officer with any available details about the event taken from video based crime prevention systems and other monitoring tools. These highly trained command center agents are first person witnesses to a crime in progress. Additionally, they relay critical information about the crime in real time.
This increases safety for officers and ensures first responders will be as prepared as possible to defuse the situation quickly and safely.
This type of always-on security helps businesses protect their premises and stay connected to local law enforcement at all times-guaranteeing peace of mind for business owners. No matter what crime may occur on your property, agents are watching and will be ready to respond with swift criminal justice. It’s a system that provides security, crime prevention, and confidence in equal measure.
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Best Practices for Crime Prevention
You may not be able to eliminate the risk of crime, but you can improve your odds. Our crime prevention tips begin with a thorough assessment of your facilities and the areas most vulnerable to intrusion:
- Secure building exteriors’ physical barriers including fences, locks or digital access controls
- Deploy security camera systems with real-time monitoring and active intrusion deterrence systems
- Equip access points with connected camera systems that allow for visual monitoring
- Protect building interiors with window locks and, if necessary, interior proximity monitoring systems activated by motion
- Set up visitor check-in stations near access points and log all incoming foot traffic
- Establish controls for internal employee access, particularly in sensitive areas
- Keep confidential company information, financial records, and valuable items in a locked safe away from prying eyes
- Set up internal controls and/or wireless cameras to monitor all employee areas
While many companies rely on video cameras. Crime prevention depends on having these cameras connect directly to a security operations center trained to immediately interface with law enforcement. This connection guarantees a priority response, as third-party security providers may be slow to notice issues and contact the authorities.
Monitor Internal Teams
Of course, digital locks and crime prevention video systems are just a few crime prevention strategies.
Look internally at your employee management policies, visitor access policies, and storage of intellectual property and other vital assets. Best practices, depending on your type of business, are to limit employee and visitor movement throughout sensitive areas of the facility.
It’s crucial to keep tabs on those moving through your building, including all staff members in your employ. Many businesses assume crime will come from outside threats, believing “it could never happen” with their teams. However, employee theft alone costs U.S. businesses $50 billion each year.
Companies need to be just as diligent with their internal security risks as they are with their external security risks. Many companies find they need a dedicated crime prevention agency to set up this type of system.
Stay Two Steps Ahead of Crime
No matter what types of crime you’re trying to avoid, effective crime prevention can’t be a reactive process. It needs to be proactive. Video camera systems and crime prevention solutions are only the beginning; companies need adequate monitoring systems in place to detect issues as they unfold. And should problems occur, there needs to be a way to get law enforcement involved as quickly as possible. Stand alone video cameras serve to only memorialize the crime without any prevention measures.
This is an essential benefit of the crime prevention security powered by Elite Interactive Solutions real-time monitoring systems.
With Elite’s military-grade security infrastructure protecting your business with real-time video monitoring, a UL-certified command center, and priority police response, you’ll have a network of crime prevention security that stops criminals before the crime even happens. Let Elite set up a robust security system in your business and make criminals think twice about targeting your sites.
Speak to a crime prevention specialist at Elite Interactive Solutions for a no-cost security assessment today.