The Christmas period often goes hand in hand with a period of uncertainty for many businesses as many are either struggling with too much or too little work and this year is no different regardless of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Unfortunately, criminals often take advantage of the stress of the festive period and, as such, crimes such as theft, vandalism and trespassing become common occurrences especially in the retail sector.
With that being said, we are going to delve into the most common types of business crimes at Christmas and what you, as a business owner, can do to prevent them.
What are the most common types of crime at Christmas?
Generally speaking crime rates tend to trend upwards during the Christmas period yet many businesses are unaware as to which types of business crimes are most common during this time which is essential knowledge if you are looking to secure your business.
Theft – it will come as no surprise that theft is the most common crime at Christmas both domestically and commercially. Criminals often take advantage of the empty premises and increased levels of stock being held over Christmas which has only been enhanced by the Coronavirus pandemic. Shorter days and longer nights also make it easier for thieves to go undetected.
Employee Crime – whilst it may be difficult to believe, crimes committed by employees often increase over the festive period with new temporary staff coming in and out of businesses regularly as businesses attempt to cope with demand.
Vandalism – increased consumption of alcohol over the festive period can often lead to an increase in vandalism. However, the current climate makes this difficult with people unable to meet and drink socially in large groups due to the COVID-19 restrictions across the country.
How can physical security help keep my business safe?
Physical security solutions such as security gates, barriers and bollards are highly effective at preventing a wide range of crimes including those mentioned above that tend to increase during the holiday season.
This is mainly because they provide one benefit that other security systems, such as CCTV and alarm systems, do not – access control.
Correctly manufactured and installed security gates and barriers are ideal at restricting both pedestrian and vehicular access to your premises making it a lot harder for would be criminals to commit any act which may damage your business.
Security barriers and gates are also suitable for a wide range of businesses regardless of size or sector as they can be made bespoke to your exact requirements and come with a range of additional benefits aside from access control such as:
- Traffic control and management
- Visitor control and management
- Bespoke/branded
- Durable and reliable
- Cost effective over the long term
For more information on how to keep your business safe or to enquire about any of our bespoke access control security solutions, please contact the team at Newgate today on 0808 156 1561 or email websales@newgate.uk.com to discuss your specific requirements.
