Burglary of commercial premises is not uncommon.  As a general rule, commercial premises can contain high value merchandise or technology, and additionally tend not to be occupied overnight making them even more vulnerable.

Not surprisingly, the incidents of commercial burglary are higher during the summer months.  This is predominantly down to doors and windows not being secured at the close of business.  It is important to also remember that if doors are left open in the day time you are open to potential thieves.

However, there are a number of options available to reduce the chance of becoming a victim by making life difficult for the thieves.  Unfortunately, many of these will incur costs and some require planning permission.  But in turn, you may find that not only does it reduce the number of attacks, it may mean a reduction in your insurance premiums.

What you can do

Improvements to external Security and Protection

As any victim will be able to tell you only too well, criminals are no respecters of property.  It is not uncommon for vehicles to be driven through the doors, windows, or even the walls of a building in order to gain rapid access to the interior.

These more vulnerable points of your property can be protected in a number of different ways.  As well as being functional, these can also be aesthetically pleasing.

Anti Ram Posts or Barriers

These are generally substantial "I" section steel posts which are firmly seated into the ground.  It is recommended that at least one metre be underground in order to make the post more resilient to attack.

Raised Ramps or Bollards & Heavy Duty lift out Posts

These tend to be a more appropriate solution for protecting forced access to particularly vulnerable points such as roller shutter doors etc.

Fixed Decorative Bollards

Whilst a simple and functional solution, decorative bollards (which generally have a steel core) offer a more aesthetically appealing alternative.

This section is closely linked with Theft of I.T. Equipment and we suggest you visit that page of our site also. 

For further indepth advice on precautionary measures, visit the Home Office information for Retailers – Preventing Burglary web pages.