How to protect your business from robbery

You cannot always prevent a robbery, but you can make it more difficult for criminals to carry out. To do this, it is important to know the risks and to work together with other entrepreneurs. The Centre for Crime Prevention and Safety (CCV) has developed a free e-learning about robbery (in Dutch) especially for entrepreneurs in the retail and catering sectors.

Preventing a robbery

The harder you make it for criminals, the more likely they are to leave your business alone.
You are attractive to thieves if:

• you keep a lot of cash in your business
• they can get away quickly after the robbery
• you have no security cameras

Nothing to steal

Make sure there is as little as possible to steal in your shop and make this clear. For example, put stickers on the door with texts such as ‘time-delayed safe’ or ‘cash registers emptied regularly’. Colin Voetee, security consultant at the CCV, has more tips. “Use safes for large amounts of cash and keep valuable products, such as gift vouchers and phone cards, out of sight. When starting your business, ask yourself whether you want to work with cash. More and more, hospitality entrepreneurs only accept cards. If you then also indicate that right away on your door, both customers and criminals know where they stand.”

Interior design

Setting up your business smartly can help reduce the risk of a robbery. “Take sightlines into account,” says Voetee, “If you put the till at the back, for example, you make things more difficult for robbers and you have a clear view of your business from behind the counter.”
Another discouraging measure is a DNA shower at the door. Place a sticker saying that you use such a shower. When the robber runs off, you press a button. The DNA shower then leaves an invisible spray on the offender. Do the police catch the culprit? Then they can be recognised by the spray, which shows up under a special lamp.

Security procedures

Draw up security procedures and make sure your staff know what to do in case of a robbery, including casual and new staff. Explain how to open and close the premises safely and how to close out the cash. Have your staff follow special training so they know how to respond to a robbery. If you have alarm buttons, make sure everyone knows how to use them.

Watch out for suspicious behaviour. Thieves often come first as ‘customers’ to assess the situation. Do you see someone studying your business at length? Looking to see where cameras hang for instance, or checking where valuable items are? Talk to them and ask if there is anything you can do to help. Criminals want to remain anonymous, so speaking to them may deter them.

Opening and closing times are risky moments. So, it is best to open and close a shop in pairs. One person opens the door while the other keeps an eye on the surroundings.

Cash

This is how you handle cash safely:

• Put your safe on time delay. The safe will then not open immediately when you enter the code. Often this will make thieves run away or give the police time to come and help you.
• Keep money out of sight as much as possible and prevent cash drawers from being too full by emptying regularly.
• Count money in an enclosed area where customers and passers-by cannot see you.
• Make sure criminals cannot detect a pattern in how you handle your money: Count money at different times, take it to the bank together with someone else and at different times, always take a different route to the bank and check your surroundings beforehand.
• Transport money inconspicuously inside your clothes, in a regular bag, or backpack.
• Transporting money is safest during the day. Keep a mobile phone within reach.
• Never take cash home with you.
• Use cash transport if possible, so you do not have to walk the streets carrying money yourself.

Collaborate with other entrepreneurs

Many business owners work together to secure their premises. Ask entrepreneurs in your neighbourhood what they do together for security. For example, hiring joint security transport or taking the daily proceeds to the bank together.

By coordinating opening and closing times, you ensure that more people are in the neighbourhood. This also helps deter criminals. Some retailers work with a neighbourhood alarm system. If you press the alarm button on this system, it automatically alerts the other entrepreneurs connected to the system. They can then come and help you or call the police.

Camera surveillance

Surveillance with cameras discourages criminals. And camera images help in tracking down offenders. Camera surveillance is subject to rules. You may secure your business with cameras under these conditions:

• You must make it clear that there are cameras in your business, for example with a sticker or sign at the door.
• You may keep the images for a maximum of 28 days.
• You must prevent anyone other than you and your employees from accessing the footage.
• You may only take images to protect your property, not to spy on your staff, for example.
• You may only film a small part of the pavement or street around your business.

Be mindful of the privacy of visitors and staff and make sure you follow all the rules for camera surveillance. You may only put up cameras if it is necessary, for example, because it is the only way to properly secure your business.

Make sure you hang up cameras in such a way that you have the whole business in view and that they are properly installed. Think about how to store the footage and make sure the date and time are correct.

Responding to a robbery

The police advise following the RAAK principle (in Dutch) during a robbery:

• Remain calm (Rustig blijven)
• Follow orders (Accepteren van bevelen)
• Hand over money or goods (Afgeven geld of goederen)
• Observe (Kijken)

This will prevent the situation from getting further out of hand. Unfortunately, you do not always have control over your reaction. In a threatening situation, your body sometimes gives an automatic survival response (in Dutch): fight, flight, or freeze. Do not blame yourself if you react differently than you would have liked to.

After a robbery

A robbery is an intense event. For you, and also for any employees. After a robbery, take these steps:

• Immediately call the emergency number 1-1-2.
• Then make sure the line is free so you can be reached by phone.
• Lock the door and wait for the police outside. Do not let anyone in or give anyone any information about what happened.
• Do not touch anything so that the police can investigate any traces.
• Reassure customers and ask if they want to testify.
• Ask witnesses to write down what they saw and heard.

The police can only catch criminals and prevent future robberies if you report a robbery. If you do not feel safe doing so, contact Meld misdaad anonym (Report crime anonymously).

Victim support

After a robbery, you may suffer from stress symptoms. Many victims of a robbery are anxious or sleep badly. You and your colleagues can get free help from Victim Support Netherlands. Not only in processing what happened, but also for any criminal process that may follow. You can also get in touch with fellow victims through Victim Support.