Advice from Dorset Police

We have been contacted by Dorset Police, who have advised us of an increase in commercial overnight burglaries across the Winton, Charminster and Boscombe areas. Although Bournemouth town centre is not affected in the same way, Dorset Police are keen to ensure all businesses, particularly small businesses and independents, are aware, and they have issued some guidelines on ways to actively deter this kind of crime:

To reduce the chances of your business becoming a victim of a burglary, take some time to consider the below points about your property.

Always remember, if your premises look insecure to you, they will look insecure to a burglar!

ALARM: Choose an alarm from a professional alarm installer who is NSI or SSAIB registered. There are many options out there to choose from. If you already have an alarm, consider contacting your alarm company to review your system to ensure it is working correctly and that all the sensor are in the right place.

DOORS: Make sure locks on your doors are up to insurance standard. Consider fitting bars on the internal side of the door so that in the event that glass is broken, entry cannot easily be gained.

REAR FIRE DOORS: Consider fitting a metal plate onto the doors, secured by coach bolts or security screws, which overlaps the opening edge of the door/door frame to prevent forced entry. You can also fit a five lever motorise deadlock, however you must comply with fire regulations.

WINDOWS: Make sure you have locks on your windows, and ensure that they are locked at night. If you think you might have a window which can easily be targeted, fit bars to the inside or if aesthetics is important consider fitting a grille made of wrought iron but be careful, and check that the windows are not designated fire escapes.

CASH: Avoid keeping large amounts of money on the premises. Leave any cash tills empty and open so if anyone looks in the window they can see it is empty. If you have a petty cash box which cannot be taken home, hide it in an unusual place. Consider putting up ‘No cash is left on the premises overnight’ signs.

SAFES: Ensure any safes are firmly fixed to a concrete floor or brick wall and hide it as much as possible. Enhance your alarm system in the area the safe is kept. Your insurance company will be able to advise which type of safe to get, depending on what you keep in it.

SMOKE CLOAK/FOG BANDIT: Depending on your business type, consider installing either ‘Smoke Cloak’ or ‘Fog Bandit’ which aim to stop burglars in their tracks by filling your shop with a thick artificial fog. Both methods have the police ‘Secured By Design’ accreditation, and need to be attached to your alarm system. The fog can also be deployed in the event of an armed robbery.

CCTV: CCTV must be fitted correctly and have the right lighting or infrared facility. It must be monitored 24 hours a day. It is recommended that CCTV is fitted by an installer who is NSI or SSAIB registered.

If you would like a security review done of your business, or if you have a question about your business security, please send an email to crimereductionwestern@dorset.pnn.police.uk.