Strategy 1 - Increase the risk to the offender

Mirrors

Mirrors allow staff to monitor sections of the store obscured by physical barriers. Ensure that mirrors do NOT allow would be offenders to see your cash handling area.

Lighting

The principal objectives of lighting should be:

• To ensure uniform coverage and brightness through the area
• To eliminate dark spots, e.g. under foliage canopies, between cares, etc., that could conceal intruders and/or criminal activity
• Be cost effective in installation and operating costs
• To illuminate the vulnerable 'target' areas, e.g. stairwells, regularly used pathways
• A light sensor can be incorporated into existing lighting or alternatively a new 'sensor light' can be installedTo ensure that glare and obtrusive light does not intrude on passing traffic

Lighting is the cheapest form of security!

Signage and stickers

Use signage and stickers to market and promote the proactive measure which have been taken at your premises. Ensure that signs are displayed requesting helmets be removed before entering the store.

Other signs or stickers could include:

• Minimal cash kept on premises
• Premises under constant video surveillance
• Time delay locks - operator does not have access
• To assist in offender identification, consider using the height markers.

Electronic sensors

Electronic sensors can alert staff that customers are entering or leaving the premises. Even the basic entry alarm sensor can assist staff.

Security video/camera systems - The do's and the don'ts

Do decide why you want the surveillance and tailor the system to suit your needs.It is necessary to decide why you want the surveillance. Is it to give a guard/attendant a wider visual coverage of an area or is it so that identification of an offender/motor vehicle can be achieved? To reliably identify a suspect it is necessary that the suspect's face cover at least one quarter of the picture area.

Do consider the background

If there is a bright light, or coloured area, behind your target area, anyone in the target area will be silhouetted which will make identification difficult. Consider both night and day time conditions.

Do consider the lighting in your target area

Ensure that the amount of light present in the target area is suitable for the camera you have chosen - i.e. don't make the target area too light or too dark.Consider a light aimed at the target area for night conditions.

Do consider the type of camera you buy

There are many cameras available that vary in quality.It is necessary to consider the resolution of the camera, which is normally quoted as the number of black and white lines the camera is able to accurately reproduce. It is also important to consider the lens and ensure that it is suitable for coverage of the target area you have chosen.