Business Security Info & Tips

Did you know?

Theft costs retailers $3.6 billion per year, according to the Retail Council of Canada.

The estimated cost of shoplifting is at least $200 per Canadian household annually.

According to a poll by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), 40% of Canadian businesses experienced a cyber-attack in 2018 and 10% of businesses were attacked 20 or more times. Of great concern is that 71% of businesses did not have a formal ‘patching’ policy to fix potential problems and guard from emerging and evolving threats.

Break and enter to businesses is one of the crimes we track as part of our CompStat process because it is a popular criminal activity among our local prolific offenders. Read more about how signal crimes and prolific offenders fit in to our crime reduction strategy.

Protect yourself; protect your community.

Do:

• invest in a quality security system and use it.
• provide staff with customer service training. Friendly staff who greet and talk with customers can deter would-be criminals.
• show that you take pride in your business. If tagged by graffiti remove as soon as possible.
• train employees to recognize suspicious and criminal activity, how to respond safely and to report to police.
• invest in quality exterior doors and locks. Exterior doors should be solid-core and secured by at least one deadbolt with a minimum 1 throw (throw is the part that extends into the door frame when locked).
• pay attention to computer security. Anti-virus, spam filters and "anti-phishing" software can protect your information and your customers’ information.
• be involved with your community by joining a BIA and stay informed of crime hotspots by following #CQCompStat on Twitter.

Don’t:

• let your windows get covered up with ads and posters. The inside of your business should be visible from the street. 
• ignore exterior landscaping. Keep hedges trimmed below 3’ and tree canopies about 7’ to ensure clear sight lines between your business and pedestrians on the street.
• leave your employees and customers in the dark. Entrances should be well lit or lit by motion detector lights. Install anti-tampering cages over outdoor light fixtures to protect the light bulb.
• help criminals by giving them access to the equipment they need to victimize your business. Lock up ladders and tools that could be used in a break-in, theft or robbery. 
• leave cash on the premises outside of business hours.
• assume your staff know not to click on links in suspicious or unsolicited emails. More information on protecting your business from frauds and scams. 
   

If you see something, say something!

Public safety is everyone's responsibility—and it’s easy. The best way to do your part for public safety is to get connected to your neighbourhood, pay attention to what is going on around you and report any criminal or suspicious activity to the police. Find out more about reporting criminal and suspicious activity to the Coquitlam RCMP.