Preventing Jewellery Store Robberies

A jewellery shop is one of the most prestigious retail fronts to run. It is usually well known in the area it is in, and more often than not highly profitable. However, with the benefits of running jewellers, there are also drawbacks, specifically coming from criminals. Recently, criminals have become more technical and well thought out on their approach when stealing from jewellers. The types of crimes they commit are no longer just robbery, they can also include, but are not limited to:

  • Fraud
  • Forgery
  • Hostage situations
  • Kidnapping
  • Theft
  • Assault

The following tips should provide you with assistance when planning to prevent a theft, or when dealing with one in real time.

In-shop security

There are many ways that criminals will try to gain an advantage within a store, such as using force, deception, stealth and arriving in large numbers. It’s good to have a formula put in place when serving people in a store.

Tips

  • Greeting everyone that enters the store at the door. You should have a member of staff that has a purpose of greeting. This will engage with genuine customers but could make possible criminals feel like they have already been caught. This could deter them from committing the criminal act.
  • Don’t serve more than one customer at once. By taking care of only one customer at a time, it will prevent you from being distracted by other customers. In this time, if you are distracted, you may not notice jewellery being stolen.
  • Outsource the safeguarding of your keys. More companies are now opting to manage risk by outsourcing their key holding to a professional security company, rather than having the risk to an employee or owner. At 3000 Security we offer this service which you can read more about here
  • Invest in a CCTV system. This is one of the best ways to stop criminal activity in your store. CCTV is well known and praised for its ability to deter crime, as it brings a “caught in the act” feeling to criminals. 3000 Security Services is highly experienced in designing and installing CCTV security systems, which you can read more about here
  • Keep everything locked. Don’t leave showcases unlocked, or leave jewellery out on the side so it can be grabbed by anyone. Ensure that showcase are kept out of reach or are only kept by one member of staff during working hours. Do not place keys underneath a counter or where it is easy for criminals to obtain without you noticing, and when the store closes, hand the keys off to our Keyholding & Alarm Response service

What to do in a robbery

If a robbery does take place during working hours, it is paramount to follow these steps to reduce risk and stay safe.

  •  Personal safety is a priority. Collaborate with criminals demands if you feel that your or any member of staffs safety is at risk.
  • Do not obviously attempt to go for an alarm system, or call for help while the robbers are present in the store as they will feel limited in time, and their plan is going wrong. This may force them to use weapons that may harm you or other staff members.
  • Do not make any dramatic movements. If you must then tell the criminals what you might be doing and why. Telling them what you will do and why will make them less sceptical and less likely to attack or become more aggressive.
  • Try not to have eye contact with the robbers but try to keep in mind what they are wearing and what they look like.

Recommendations

If you run a store in a very busy environment, such as a city centre or high street, we recommend Manned Guarding for the store. 3000 Security Services is a national security supplier with 20 years industry’ experience working with an impressive list of customers. Our approach to manned guarding is radically different. We stabilise, improve, challenge and innovate enabling us to support our customers and security teams

All staff are licensed, uniformed and trained and are screened & vetted in accordance with BS 7858 : 2012.

If you found these tips useful, or want to learn more about any of the services we provide, please visit our website at https://www.3000security.co.uk/