Security Matters

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Preventing Crime That Happens From The Inside Of Your Business

Preventing Internal Crime

While a cute poodle stealing your coffee is cute, employee theft isn’t. It’s not uncommon to focus so much on external threats that you never notice the crime that happens from inside your business.

Employee theft and harassment happen far too often to ignore. The good news is professional security guards help to prevent this type of crime.

For optimal security, you have to create a strategy that keeps your business safe from threats inside and out.

Understand Your Risks

The first step to protecting your business from the inside is to fully understand your risks. Various types of fraud and merchandise/equipment/supply theft are the two most common issues business face. If you don’t think it’s that big of a deal, consider the fact that employee theft (of any type including fraud) costs businesses $50 billion annually.

It doesn’t matter how small or large your business is either. One computer repair business with eight locations and 30 employees total had two major incidents of employee theft and fraud. This proves even small businesses aren’t immune.

The most difficult part is most employees who commit these crimes seem like model employees. They’re rarely late, they work well with others and they don’t give you any trouble. The reason they’re such incredible employees is so they don’t become suspects. This is where trained guards come into play.

Implement Constant Monitoring

The best way to reduce and prevent employee theft is to implement constant monitoring. This is a two-step plan. First, add noticeable security cameras to areas where employees are most likely to steal, such as registers, high-value equipment and off-limits areas (where sensitive data may be stored or accessed).

You’ll also want to monitor entries and exits to see if employees appear to be carrying extra items out. Of course, those camera angles may not help for fraud cases.

The next step, which may also help prevent employee theft via fraud, is to hire security guards. A security camera might catch an employee talking on the phone, but a security guard may hear what the employee says. Your employees know this and are less likely to commit fraud when they know someone is watching them.

Look For Odd Behaviors

Security guards are trained to watch for odd behaviors. This not only helps prevent theft inside your business, but violent crime as well. It’s not always a disgruntled employee that’s been recently fired that causes issues. It could just be an employee with a bad home life that’s about to snap over something simple.

Your guards watch and interact with your employees daily. This means they also notice when behavior changes. For instance, they may notice:

  • Difficulty engaging
  • Poor performance
  • Paranoia
  • Depression
  • Easy to anger

For employees who are stealing or committing fraud, they might seem paranoid or suddenly have to rush off every time a guard comes around. Your guards notice this and may start checking security footage to see if something is wrong. They also notify you that something seems off, which allows you to check your books for potential financial issues.

Guard Sensitive Areas

Any areas where access is restricted is a recipe for disaster if it’s not guarded well. Keypads and security badges work well, but having a guard in place ensures no one poses as another employee. Guards also notice if anyone seems to be sneaking around trying to get in.

Encourage Anonymous Reports

Your guards can’t see every area of your business 24/7. Even security cameras have small blind spots. This is why it’s important to encourage anonymous reporting by employees. Provide a secure way for employees to file a report if they notice something suspicious. While every report won’t be an issue, some may lead to stopping crime within the workplace.

Have Random Patrols

Finally, ask your security guards to perform random patrols. Employees who are determined to commit a crime against your business try to look for patterns in security guard patrols. Change shifts at different times, patrol for different periods of time and patrol various areas randomly.

Contact BOS Security

Start preventing internal security issues in your business by contacting us today at 404-793-6965. We’re always happy to answer any questions you might have.

Want to find out more about your internal threats? Start with our free Security Needs Assessment to uncover your vulnerabilities.

Image: Thirteen .J

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