5 Retail Store Security Items You Might Want To Consider

We live in a dangerous world.  I don’t think that anyone can deny that in the past twenty years, violent crime has had a significant impact on the way that we work and live.  Given that this is the case, I thought I would take a look at what we can do, today, in order to make our stores and customers safer, and in doing so I’ve come up with a personal Top 5 list… perhaps not of what you should buy today, but certainly of those items which you might be considering.

Traditionally, retailers have been focused on loss prevention, and nearly everyone employs various anti-theft devices, such as RFID tagged merchandise, ink packs, bag checks etc in order to deter such activities.  This all quite naturally focuses on those people who are leaving the store, rather than on those who are entering.  But, if someone wishes to commit carnage in a shopping location, then the chances are far greater that they will succeed due to this lack of focus.  So first, let’s talk about Securing the Entryway - While no precaution is foolproof, there are some options to consider whenever you address the entrance to your store, which leads me to;

1. Bullet and Blast Resistant Doors

Bullet and blast resistant doors don't
have to look like vault doors anymore

These have seen a tremendous surge in demand over the past few years in the United States, and in fact it is becoming rare to see an entryway for a major retailer or shopping mall that doesn’t employ entry points secured with these types of devices.  In fact, while you may not realize it, whenever you walk through the automatic doors at the local mall, chances are you’re passing through a bullet and blast resistant portal.

The major drawback of these types of devices for retail store use outside of the shopping mall atmosphere has traditionally been aesthetic.  Now however, there are several manufacturers producing far more attractive products, with customizable appearance, which get the job done.

The most effective, by far, is the revolving entryway, not only for its ability to thin the initial entry of people into your location, but also due to its ability to be readily integrated into electronic scanning and surveillance architectures to provide immediate isolation of threats and achieve lockdown.  This type of entryway is particularly effective when utilized in combination with;

2. Explosives and Firearms Detection Systems

In it’s larger, more passive form, these types of systems are relatively new to the civilian consumer market.  These systems, such as the one by Electral, shown here, generally consist of an entrance archway which uses sophisticated chemical and electromagnetic sensors in order to detect various forms of explosive material, as well as detect physical profiles of other weapons such as blades and firearms.

While this type of security precaution, by itself, will do little to prevent an occurrence such as a terrorist blast, when utilized in combination with a blast resistant entryway, it becomes an extremely effective method for separating a potential aggressor from your other customers and store employees. In fact, the two technologies can be built together and thereby combined in order to remove any aesthetically negative impact on store appearance.

The idea behind such a combination is that as each customer enters the revolving doorway, they are scanned for nefarious devices.  Upon detection, the system can then work in tandem with the door’s locking system in order to automatically isolate the individual.  Now, if he or she pulls a firearm, they’re contained within the enclosure, and in the worst case scenario, in which an explosive device is detonated, the blast can then be contained, or at least reduced, due to the blast resistant nature of the enclosure.

These entryway precautions provide an excellent step forward in securing both your employees as well as your customers, and enhance the overall security profile of your store as well, and thereby protect your goods.  These devices, working in tandem can then be enhanced by combining the triggering of lockdown with your;

3. Holdup and Panic Button System

These types of systems have been around for a very, very long time.  Generally, the button is contained somewhere within the cashwrap station, very near, within or underneath the register area.  The idea is that pushing the button places an automatic call to police and/or security services, notifying them that either a robbery or else some form of violence is in progress at your location.  Thus alerted, they can then respond in force to deal with the threat.

By combining these systems, which can be performed easily and affordably, you have now achieved a tremendously increased level of security, and you need not rely on frightened and for all practical purposes untrained store personnel to deal with the type of asymmetrical violence oriented threats that such aggressors represent.

Of course, this handles the entrance to your store, but of course these do you little good if someone decides to throw something through your window display and enter or otherwise commit their act in that manner, so of course this must logically lead to;

4. Bullet and Blast Resistant Glass

Following an explosion, very few things are more dangerous than flying glass shards. Blast Resistant Glass is designed to absorb the energy generated by a bomb blast and protect occupants from glass fragmentation typically caused by high-explosive detonations.  Additionally, the latest generation of these types of glass panels are as strong, or stronger than traditional pull down security gates.

Again, the historical drawback of this type of security measure has been both cost as well as aesthetic appeal. However, as you can see, contemporary security glass is as attractive as standard glass, and while it is of course more expensive, the cost is not nearly as significant as it was only a few years ago.

Now, these measures are all really great.  They do cost money, and they’re not going to be for everyone.  But the one thing that each and every retailer, regardless of size, product or location can benefit from, at very low cost, is;

5. Employee Defensive Training

More and more companies of all sizes are bringing in a self-defense consultant to provide this much-needed benefit for their employees and staff. Retail businesses are seeing the need to add self-defense training to their employees' training schedule. Many are adding the services of a self-defense consultant to their company or department's employee training program. For them, its just one more form of insurance to help guarantee the long-term growth of staff and company alike.

Many retailers take steps to keep their employees safe and healthy through health insurance, wellness programs, and on-the-job safety training. It's not just the right thing to do, it's good business to keep your employees happy and healthy. The smartest companies know however, that they cannot afford to have one of their employees become a victim of violence - on or off the job site. Each player on the team is valuable, and important to the well being of the team as a whole.

This extends even further whenever your defensive training includes threat awareness training for your retail setting.  As always, the greatest defensive weapon in any arsenal is the human mind.  By training your store employees in appropriate defensive and awareness techniques you are providing them with the tools and confidence to prevent disaster, and in worsening situations, to respond in ways that save lives, preserve property and reduce disaster.

Employees participating in a self defense seminar

Many local law enforcement organizations provide free or reduced cost training in some of these basic techniques, so that’s a good place to start.  Beyond that, such training is offered by numerous security firms around the country, is generally affordable, can be conducted in a group setting, and is quite frankly fun!

To sum it all up

We can’t prepare for every eventuality in life, or in business, and to attempt to do so would be cost prohibitive to even the largest and wealthiest organizations.  But we can take steps to reduce our risk, minimize our exposure to threats and respond appropriately in the event that such terrible potentials become reality.

Maybe the first four suggestions in this review are for you, and maybe they’re not… But the last suggestion really is something that every organization can be a part of.

If you haven’t been thinking about your employees’ safety lately, it’s time to start.