Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Security & Safety

Your Franchise Operations Manual

This chapter covers general guidelines for promoting security and safety in your Half-PricedGranite. The information does not reflect minimum or maximum standards for safety and operating procedures of any store. The recommendations are purely advisory and not a warranty or guarantee of use or applicability to any specific store situation. It is your responsibility to review your particular situation completely and determine the security and safety measures that best suit your needs. All applicable governmental rules, regulations, or restrictions now in effect, or which may be established, take precedence over the recommendations of this chapter.

The first section of this chapter deals with crime prevention and the second section deals with procedures for natural and unexpected disasters. For further information on any of the topics covered, contact any of the following agencies:

MAKING YOUR STORE A LESS INVITING TARGET

The possibility of a burglary is an inherent risk for most businesses. Robbery targets are generally selected by the degree of opportunity presented. Crime prevention is the attempt to reduce the incidence of crime by minimizing opportunity. Put crime preventive measures in place and assess them periodically.

STORE LOCATION

Assess the quantity of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, the times of high and low activity, and the potential for increasing traffic. Since high activity areas tend to be less prone to robberies, these factors are extremely important.

Examine the surrounding area and look for potential security problems. For example, if your store is located on a dark street and would benefit from additional street lamps, ask your neighbors to help place a request to the city for more lamps.

STORE DESIGN

Designed With Security In-Mind

Keeping your store safe and secure is always a consideration—even at the design stage! Your blueprints incorporate many security-enhancing features right from the start: from the placement of your safe, to the positioning of your walls, seating, phones, and more! You must follow these plans exactly (for both new construction and for comprehensive remodels requiring blueprints). Thinking of these safety features and surveillance systems now avoids costly additions later on!

TELEPHONES

Install telephones in such a way that you do not have to turn your back to answer them. Keep the phone number of your local police department posted next to all telephones. In addition, installing telephones in an inconspicuous place, such as a closet, can provide an outside line to the police in case there is a problem in your store. Many times during a robbery, the victims are locked inside a closet or office area. A phone placed inside any of these locations helps employees to notify local authorities in the event of an emergency.

LOCKS AND BARRIERS

Before committing a crime, a person will almost always weigh the relative risks of getting caught. "How long will it take to get in?" "Is there an easy way to get out?" "Will I be seen?" "Is there enough money to make it worthwhile?" The longer it will take for a person to commit a crime and to escape, the less likely he will be to even take the risk. Fences, locks, doors, and secure windows are all barriers that the criminal must overcome and are essential for good security.

All exterior doors should fit snugly in their frames. Regularly inspect frames for decay. If doors open outward, install non-removable hinge pins. Secure all openings, such as windows, exhaust fans, and air conditioners with physical devices and tie them into the alarm system.

DOORS

Deadbolt locking devices, also called double cylinder locks, are best if they have a minimum 1" drill bolt, coupled with a reinforced striker plate. They allow you to lock your front door from both sides by using a key. This lock is preferred over the thumb turn locks because double cylinders deny privacy to an intruder since he cannot lock the door behind him unless he has access to a key. A thumb turn lock allows an intruder to enter your store and lock the front door behind him with just one quick motion.

Back and side doors to the outside should not have external knobs or handles, but should have an interior paddle emergency lock equipped with an alarm. This type of lock has a push bar mechanism for immediate release of the door and the alarm will let you know when someone has left your store through the back entrance. Upon activation, the alarm can be shut off, only by using a key. If allowed by local code, keep doors not used by customers locked at all times.

Peepholes, which are small devices installed through a door allowing you a view of the outside, give you the advantage of knowing who is outside while you remain within the safety of your store. If you have a door to your office, peepholes can be used for added security. For example, if you are in the middle of preparing a bank deposit and there's a knock at the office door, you will be able to see who it is before you open the door.

LIGHTING

Good lighting is the single most cost effective crime deterrent. The interior of the store, including the customer area, work areas, and the backroom, should be brightly lit the entire time the store is open. Additionally, the interior of the store should always be at least minimally lit after closing.

Balance interior and exterior illumination, since it is almost impossible to see what is happening in the dark outside a brightly lit store. Exterior illumination in entranceways and the area immediately surrounding your store is crucial. Periodically assess the visibility provided by your lighting during the day and night. For example, at different times of the year, trees cast shadows over different areas of the parking lot. Look for similar situations in your store's surroundings.

Consider installing timed or motion-detector lights in your parking lot, since busy employees may forget to turn on the outside lights when it begins to get dark.

All lighting must be operational and on at the correct times. Replace broken lights immediately.

Visibility

Because a criminal does not want to be seen when committing a crime, maintain good, clear visibility, both into and out of your store. Keep the hanging of posters and other signs in your window to a minimum. You should be able to see what is happening outside, particularly from the cash register to the street, and those outside should be able to see what is happening inside. Posters, etc., might help attract customers, but they'll also attract robbers and shield their actions from witnesses, and/or passing patrols. Remove obstacles from around the exterior of the building, as well.

Parking spaces should be clearly visible from inside the store, so it is possible to see a potential criminal inspecting the store or parking an escape vehicle. Since viewing all parking spaces from inside the store is not always possible, particularly in stores with larger lots or corner locations, increase lighting in non-visible areas to deter possible criminal activity.

Be suspicious of persons loitering about, especially at opening and closing times. If you feel uncomfortable, do not hesitate to call the police.

SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS

The installation of a surveillance security system within your store is yet another feature of enhancing store security. As stated before, if the criminal assumes the risk of being caught is high, he will be less likely to target your store. An additional benefit to having a surveillance system is found in a higher success rate in actually apprehending the person who does commit the crime.

As with any security measure, assess your needs based on the conditions of your specific location. Contact your local police department and ask for their assistance in assessing your situation. Many police departments have well-developed crime prevention units, designed specifically for handling this type of question.

All security measures should be genuine and visible to employees and customers. Criminals may think that if you are lying about having one type of security device (e.g., dummy cameras), you could also be lying about other security measures, such as time-lock safes and not having access to all the cash in the store.

ALARM SYSTEMS

Alarm systems are available in a wide variety of types and styles. Some are found in the form of an alarm button mounted under your counter. Some are in the form of metal door and window "connectors" that will trip an alarm if contact is broken. Still others are found in the form of separate motion detectors or remote alarm devices.

Usually, an alarm system needs an available phone line to operate. As alarms are "tripped," a phone call is automatically placed to the monitoring station. Personnel at the monitoring station then are able to dispatch the appropriate people to the scene.

If you decide on an alarm system, install it on a separate phone line, possibly the fax line. If the telephone and alarm system use the same phone line, you cannot use the telephone until the alarm is answered and disengaged. With a separate line for alarm and telephone, you can make outgoing calls (911, etc.) while the alarm is sounding.

ROBBERY DETERRENCE SIGNAGE

Robbery deterrence signage – stickers, decals, etc., are available to let customers and potential robbers know what a store is doing to deter robberies. You many chose to place a sign in the window indicating that only a minimum of cash is kept in the store and that employees do not have the combination or keys to the safe. Insurance companies and/or other security companies often supply these signs. "No Loitering" signs can discourage loitering in and around your store. Place a height measure or colored dots at varying heights by an exit door. This helps witnesses determine the height of a fleeing robber.

SAFES

There are many different kinds of safes available, each with a wide range of features. Some safes can simply be opened with a key. Others have a time-delay feature that requires the lapse of a certain amount of time before you are able to open it, whether you have a key or not. Still others have even more features, such as the mechanical dispensing of rolled coin from the change fund, without having to open the safe at all.

Of course, the more complex the safes become (and the more convenience type of features they have), the more expensive the unit. Contact the Company for further information.

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES

Establish operational procedures that you and your employees can follow to help deter crime. Remember, a procedure can't be effective if it's not put into practice.

Cash Register Recommendations

The POS system and cash register must be placed on the front counter, so the employee's back is never facing the customer, and so the register drawer is not visible to the customer. Please refer to Chapter 11- “Paperwork & Controls” for further information regarding cash register recommendations and procedures.

Regular Deposits

You and your employees must make regular deposits. If this procedure is not followed, your security and safety program is not complete, no matter how much money you've spent on crime prevention devices and insurance.

Making regular deposits does not require a lot of time and effort. Not only will these deposits reinforce a safer store environment, they will also reduce time in counting cash during the cash-in procedure. Take a few minutes to review company procedures with your employees.

Cash Counting & Bank Deposits

Be discreet when counting large amounts of money or preparing a bank deposit.

Do not be obvious about going to the bank, and do not wear your uniform or name tag. Make frequent bank deposits and vary the time of day when you make the deposits. Hide the money when going to the bank, and use different places for concealing the money. For instance, one day put the money in a brown paper lunch sack, the next day in a backpack or an empty container, etc. Also, do not drive the same route to the bank every day. These tips help prevent a potential robber from casing your daily routine and actions.

Try not to make deposits at night. If you have to make a nighttime deposit, have an employee drive your car to the front of the store, so you don't have to carry the money across a dark parking lot. Check with your local police department as in some areas police officers will escort an employee to the bank.

Cash-ins

Store owners with the best cash control insist that a cash-in is completed at the change of every shift. They also require employees to save or staple their written counted amounts of money to the X-readings until the daily balance can be verified. See Chapter 11 - "Paperwork & Controls" for details on the Cash-In procedure.

Item Identification

Record serial numbers of all equipment and mark business equipment with your Federal Withholding Tax Number prefixed by the state letters. Stolen items will then be easily traceable. Do not keep expensive, non-essential business equipment on the premises unless it can be secured in a locked office area.

Screening Employees/Key Control

Carefully screen all employees. Unreliable employees commit many burglaries. Always check employment records and references of prospective employees. Never hire anyone unless you can validate the person's previous work experience. More than 60% of applicants either omit vital facts or puff up their resumes and backgrounds. You may also want to conduct pre-employment credit and criminal record checks, particularly for supervisors and management candidates. There are a number of national and local companies that offer this service.

*You must obtain the prospective employee's permission prior to the check.

Let time prove that you can trust an employee before giving him a key to your business. You MUST have control of the keys to your store.

• Limit the number of keys to the store.
• Record which employee has access to a key.
• Change the lock or tumbler when an employee who has had access to a key terminates employment.
• Have your locksmith install keys that are clearly marked, “do not duplicate” to reduce the risk of unauthorized keys being used.

Your Store Has Been Broken Into Overnight

As part of the daily routine, the first person arriving to the store in the morning should check all the doors to the store, ending with the front door. If any door or window is found unlocked, ajar, or broken, DO NOTENTER. This could indicate a burglary took place overnight and the thief may still be inside the store.

The best advice is to go somewhere safe (a nearby business, for example) and call the police. Wait for the police at your safe location; do not enter the store without them. This is a long-standing practice condoned by police departments and other security professionals. Officers would much rather respond in this fashion than to put an innocent bystander in harm's way.

If your store has an alarm system in place, you might be contacted during the night if the alarm is tripped when the store is closed. If the police or your alarm company calls you, ask that the police meet you there. If you arrive before they do, wait for the police before entering the store. They will give you further direction upon their arrival.

Note: Before leaving for your store, call the police or your alarm company back to verify that they indeed called you.

Miscellaneous Procedures

• Practice these other procedures you do on a daily basis to help deter the possibility of a robbery.

• Make a job sheet for employees to follow during slow periods. A store appears safer when an employee is moving about completing tasks than if he or she is sitting back reading a magazine. Also, if the employee is away from the cash register, a robbery would take longer, which could deter a would-be criminal.

• Establish a policy prohibiting employees from ever opening the back door of the store during evening hours. If deliverymen arrive after dark, require them to come through the front door or tell them to return the next day.

• Establish a policy prohibiting employees from going to the dumpster area after dark.

• Keep a spare key to the store hidden in a concealed area (e.g., manager's desk drawer, backroom). Often a robber will lock his victims in the store, and you can use the spare key to unlock the deadbolt to the front door.

SECURITY TRAINING

Security training is critical in helping an employee react calmly and quickly in the event of a robbery. The use of force, the nervousness of the robber, and foolish acts of heroism can easily end in tragedy. It is essential that all employees know what to do in the event of a robbery and become familiar with robbery prevention procedures. As an employer, your employees' safety is paramount. Regular follow-up training is a key to your training program's success.