If you own or rent one or more buildings, you want to protect them from crime. Similar to other commercial property owners, policyholders of Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. are the target of property crimes on a regular basis. An average of five property crimes such as theft and vandalism are reported each day. At Church Mutual, we help our customers lower their risk for property crime. Here are some suggestions:

Outside protection

• Make sure all areas outside of your building and parking lot are well lit.
• If you want fencing, use wire mesh. It prevents access and allows for greater visibility.
• Keep hedges and shrubbery trimmed so criminals don’t have a place to hide.
• Use case-hardened padlocks for outbuildings.
• When you’re finished with ladders and other tools, lock them away. Don’t give criminals the means to commit a crime.
• Prune large trees near your building; branches can provide second-story access.

Doors and windows

• Lock your doors and windows whenever the building is empty. At times when only parts your building are being used, lock doors and windows in the unused areas.
• Put a metal bar or broomstick in the track of sliding glass doors.
• Use interlocking hinge plates on doors, which make it hard to take a locked door off its hinges.
• Make sure all your windows have locks.
• If your building is in a high crime area, install grates over windows. However, grates should open to the outside in case someone needs to climb out to escape from a fire.
• Lock interior doors as well as exterior doors — it’s always good to have more than one line of defense.
• Install a burglar alarm that has a battery-operated back-up system and test the device monthly.
• Install a surveillance system that includes easily visible cameras to deter would-be thieves. The surveillance system should be connected to your monitored burglar alarm system.
• Keep a light on inside your building at all times.
• Keep a good record of all the people who hold keys to your building. When a keyholder leaves the organization, retrieve the keys from them.

Finally, train staff to detect suspicious behaviors and respond appropriately. Ask law enforcement officers to patrol your facility on a regular basis. Not only is crime dangerous and costly for your organization, but it can also rob your people of their sense of safety. It makes sense to take every precaution possible to lower your risk.

For more information and resources focused on securing your organization and preventing crime, visit our Risk Management Resources.