Published: August 6, 2017
The holiday season and winter months often bring an unwelcome guest – increased crime. Breaking & entering, fraud and shoplifting often rise during these busy months. Here are some tips & reminders from the Marpole Community Policing Centre (604-717-3434) to help protect your business this holiday season.
1. Maintain a visible premise – day & night. Don’t cover all the window space; keep a light on at night and ensure all doors are locked!
2. Placement of cash register. Place the register facing customers, but not too close to the door.
3. Effective store layout. Ensure placement of goods & products to allow for visibility. Mirrors can help in hard-to-see areas.
4. Money Handling. Vary your bank deposit visiting times, make several deposits per day, and ensure
that no money is left on premise after closing.
5. Make note of escape routes. If you have more than one entrance to your business, i.e. back door, ensure that it is visible and alarmed. An entrance “bell ring” to alert when customers enter & exit is useful.
6. Verify Identification. If someone enters your business offering professional services, check
their credentials & ID. Scammers are working in our neighbourhood.
If you accept cheques and credit cards, request an additional piece of photo ID, such as a driver’s licence, to mitigate against cheque and credit card fraud. Don’t be a victim of crime this holiday season, or at any time during the year. And don’t forget to… Call 911 to report any crime,
no matter how small. Get an incident number so that the crime has been registered with the Vancouver Police Department.