Commercial Robbery

Break-ins

A break-in is when a thief illegally enters a home or business and steals property.

Advice

• Make sure the doors to your business are well lit. Avoid having bushes, trees and fences around the entry way: they may provide hiding places for thieves.
• Do not use tinted windows, which darken the inside of the business.
• Make sure the windows are not blocked, to allow visibility from outside. A business plastered with posters and signs is more vulnerable to theft.
• Keep your lighting system in good repair.
• Keep the inside of your business lit at night.
• Install security doors and windows.
• Install a security system to alert the neighbourhood of intruders.
• Install a vandal-proof video surveillance system.
• Make sure the street address is clearly visible in the front and back of your building.
• Make sure you keep track of the keys you give to your employees.
• Read the brochure Are your valuables safe? (PDF format). It will help you identify vulnerabilities and take steps to resolve them. The officers at your neighbourhood police station can help you for free!
• If you are robbed, call 911 immediately. If you witness the theft, describe the thief and the thief's escape route.

Shoplifting is when someone steals merchandise from a retailer after legally entering the store.

Advice

• Place valuable objects and those than can be easily hidden on the body near the cash or in a locked counter.
• Install a visible video surveillance system to discourage thieves.
• Install mirrors so you can see all over your store.
• Arrange your store to avoid corners where thieves can act without being seen.
• Install a light alarm or an audio door alarm.
• Make sure the address is clearly visible in the front and back of your building.
• Be wary of customers who carry bags or wear baggy clothing.
• If your store is shoplifted, call 911 immediately. If you witness the theft, describe the thief and the thief's escape route.

A robbery is a theft that involves threats or violence using a weapon or another object. The motive is to take merchandise or money from a business. This is both a personal crime and a property crime.

Advice

• Position the cash register so it is visible from outside the store.
• Avoid signs, stands and shelves that obstruct the view from outside.
• Use a burglary alarm system.
• Install a video surveillance system.
• Do your deposits – especially night deposits – at different times.
• Do not keep much cash in the cash register.
• Make sure the address is clearly visible from the front and back of your building.

If you are robbed:

• Do not try to defend yourself. Give the money to the robber in order to reduce the risk of injury.
• Call 911 immediately. Describe the robber and the robber's escape route