How protected is your retail business from theft?
Have you ever shopped in a local retail business and wondered why they have so many cameras installed inside and outside of the store? Today almost anywhere you go in a shopping mall, store, or even small business there appears to be some type of security system. This is for good reason. Security Cameras often make would-be thieves think twice. Everyone can agree (even the criminals of the world) that having the cameras right there in the public eye often deters any type of crime. We can also say that as a customer shopping in a retail business, we feel safer knowing that these cameras are around. It offers an internal sigh of relief while shopping to know that you are protected. Retail Business Security is one of, if not the, most important aspect of owning and running a business. Whether or not you can protect what you are selling and protect the people who work for your retail business is a huge question many business owners will find themselves asking. It is also easier to get people to work for you, knowing that they are applying to a safe environment. As a store owner, it is important to provide the best products to your customers but also offering your customers and staff retail business security is undeniably appreciated by everyone stepping foot in your business.
Protect your business from all types of theft.
In addition to shoplifting, security cameras can watch money transactions and make sure all the cash is going into the cash register and not into an employee’s pocket. It is scary to know that an employee is more than capable of slipping your money into their pockets since they know the cash register systems and passwords quite well in most cases. According to Statistic Brain Research Institute, employee theft is responsible for 43% of inventory loss in US Retail Business.
This includes accidental loss by human error as well as an employee purposefully stealing from you.
Just this week here at Central Jersey Security Cameras we had a customer that recently installed an HD Security Camera system in a local store. He stopped in to tell us that the cameras he had professionally installed by our company are going to save him thousands of dollars a year in thefts that would’ve occurred at his retail business. Within the first month his cameras have caught who was stealing off of his loading dock and how employees were stealing from the cash till.
What is scary about retail theft is that there is no specific way you can tell someone is going to shoplift. There are so many tactics and such a large age range of people who commit these crimes that store owners are almost always blindsided by this crime. It is definitely worth noting that if your retail business has a truck loading dock, you become a much easier target for thieves than you think. Loading dock thefts result in thousands of dollars of loss and everyone involved in transporting and selling these goods take a hit. Inside jobs, hijacking, and even just basic grab and runs are very common at truck loading docks. Know where and how your business is vulnerable!
Why should I get security cameras?
When thinking about theft in a retail business, our mind automatically goes to someone stealing items in their pocketbook or a burglar with a facemask on taking a bag of inventory/cash out of the door. Even though that is definitely considered theft, businesses can also really suffer when employees are stealing time while they are working. Workers are much more likely to work efficiently when there is a camera in view and much more likely to slack off on the job when there is no camera present. According to inc.com, studies show that in an 8 hour day, employees only work for 3 hours. https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/in-an-8-hour-day-the-average-worker-is-productive-for-this-many-hours.html
Having your employees work to the best of their abilities while they are on the clock will boost business for any employer and will cause the employees to be more careful when handling money while they are working their shift. When inquiring about how to prevent theft from your retail business, one of the steps is ALWAYS surveillance cameras. It is almost foolish to not have some sort of camera on your employees especially if they are handling your hard earned money.
Nobody would want to be caught in plain view doing something that is blatantly against the law and nobody wants to feel unsafe while doing something as simple as shopping for clothes. Even if criminals are bold enough to try and cause havoc on your store in front of your surveillance, these cameras will catch them and bring your business the justice it deserves. Shoplifting charges can result within the range of an infraction all the way to a felony charge. Do you really want someone committing a felony in your retail business and not being able to do anything about it since you do not have proof?
What would your retail business have to do to prove a theft took place?
In any case of shoplifting, you need proof of what took place to catch and convict a thief. It can be pretty tricky if you don’t have a camera handy to catch a culprit in order to protect your retail business. The “He said, She said” won’t hold up as well in court without hard evidence to prove who the perpetrator was. Every day you see in the news suspects caught on camera wanted for questioning. Without this footage, catching the suspect is incredibly difficult for the police and the store owners. Did you know in many cases insurance will only cover what can be actually proved? This means that even if there is something missing from a retail business, insurance companies still need proof before they will cover it. The best way to prove exactly what is stolen is to have actual footage of it. This is not just in the case of theft for the insurance companies. Throughout the years we have heard of cases of damages to retail business and they had to show the proof to local authorities and to insurance agencies to put the claim in for the business they own. You cannot just accuse an employee of stealing even if you are sure if it’s them. You need to have some sort of solid proof or else your retail business could receive major backlash. Could you imagine that? Your business losing even more money because someone stole from you due to the fact you did not have the proper proof. There is no better proof than the crime being caught on camera.
However, it is good to keep in mind that if the quality of the video is not clear enough, the footage will not stand in court. If you do have cameras for your business but they are older, don’t do yourself a disservice by assuming they are going to take great footage. Make sure you are up to date with your surveillance. Protect your products and your business. It may not seem fair that it is your responsibility to ensure that you and your business receive justice, but that is the reality of how retail business theft cases work.
Parking lots at retail businesses need security cameras too.
When it comes to retail business security, it is not only about the store and its safety. There is also concern about the parking lot. Once you park your car, how secure is your car in the parking lot? How safe are you walking from your car into a retail business? According to the U.S. Department of Justice, parking lots are the third most common place where crimes occur with nearly 1,400 violent crimes committed each day. The most frequent crime in parking lots is theft or vandalism, but victims are also vulnerable to more violent crimes such as robbery and assault. https://securitytoday.com/articles/2009/10/13/tips-parking-lot-safety.aspx?m=1
This is very evident at shopping malls and outlets featuring multiple shops and a very large parking lot.
You want your property as well as the items you have just bought to be safe in a parking lot. If you feel unsafe, you will not shop at that location! Believe it or not, the presence of security cameras attracts customers to shop and spend their money.
Say you get an unsuspected scratch or get dents in your car and there is no note left on your dashboard. Instead of being a helpless victim and having no way of receiving any sort of compensation for this, if there is camera footage you are able to hold the person who was responsible for this accountable and figure out what exactly happened. Also, if you are walking and get hit by a car and the person decides to take off, you are able to just pull up the footage and it makes finding that person much easier. Cameras in parking lots protect innocent people who are spending money in your store. It’s the least you can do as a retail business owner.
A small investment in a security system is worth it because solid proof that will hold up in court is priceless. Don’t let anyone take anything from your business.
All of us here at Central Jersey Security Cameras want your retail business, your employees, and your customers to have the best retail security possible. We know you work hard for your money and we will personally come to your store and help you figure out what security system would be best for you and your business.
Contact us today for your free on-site evaluation. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Protect what matters most to you.
For more information visit our website at www.centraljerseysecuritycameras.com or call us at 732-333-0227.
