What to do after a break-in at your business premises

Though shoplifting remains the most common crime against businesses, there are estimated to be more than 100,000 burglaries against commercial premises every year in the United Kingdom. The COVID-pandemic fueled a rise in break-ins in 2020, and ongoing economic uncertainty could see that figure climb. Even if you’ve taken all of the necessary steps to secure your business, it could still be targeted by burglars, causing thousands in damages.

Discovering that your business premises have been broken into can be tough. It’s natural to feel like it’s a personal attack, and that your hard work has been in vain. However, it’s vital that you take a pragmatic approach and move forward as soon as possible. Below, we’ve put together some of the things you need to do following a burglary at your business premises.

Call the police

Contact the police as soon as possible following the break-in, giving them as much detail as possible. If the burglary is ongoing, call 999, but if it happened overnight or a few hours ago, call their non-emergency line instead. They’ll come out to gather evidence, so it’s vital that you do not enter the building for your own safety and to avoid tampering with evidence. 

When the police arrive (it may not be immediately), they’ll take photographs for their investigation and may speak to nearby residents. Once they’ve said it’s safe to do so, you can do the same and start to document evidence for insurance purposes. The more details you’re able to collect, the faster your claim can be processed; take pictures of everything! 

Secure the building

Although you won’t be able to replace windows and doors immediately after a break-in, you should still take precautions to secure your premises against additional damage. Board up windows, change the locks and ensure that your CCTV cameras are in operation. If you can’t spot any physical signs of a break-in, consider how a burglar could have entered your premises – they might know the code for your alarm system or entered your building before you locked up. Perform a full sweep and ensure it’s intruder-proof before going home.

Speak to your insurance company

After you’ve spoken with the police and have documented damages and taken stock, the next step is to contact your insurance company. In most cases, insurers require you inform them of a break-in within 24 hours of it happening, so don’t put this off. They’ll talk you through the claims process, and you’ll be asked for a verbal account of the break-in, a crime number, and an estimate of the damage or loss of goods. They might arrange for a claims inspector to visit your premises to assess the damage; the sooner they can come, the better.

Let your staff know

It’s also a good idea to update your staff on the situation and let them know how you’re planning to move forward. It might be that you need to close for repairs, or you could ask staff to work remotely for a short period. It’s also important to brief them on the steps you are taking to ensure it doesn’t happen again and ask them how they’re feeling. It’s natural for your employees to be shaken by the events – try to reassure them and offer your support.

If an employee was directly impacted by the break-in, it might be worth arranging for a professional to visit your premises to offer guidance and counselling. This could be done over the phone. CABA has some advice on coping with the emotional impact of a break-in. 

Review your security

Once the dust has settled, you’ll want to review your current security procedures and identify weaknesses in your current strategy. Though it’s important to remember that the break-in was not your fault, you should use the experience as an opportunity to make improvements to your security, which can give you and your staff peace of mind. This might involve installing new CCTV cameras, adding an alarm system, blocking up vulnerable windows and doors, replacing the locks, adding bollards to your car park, or even hiring a security guard.

At Precision Facilities Management, we offer a range of security services for SMEs designed to protect your staff, assets, and customers. From static guarding and key holding services to security training, remote handling or CCTV and security consultancy, you can depend on us. Call our team on 0116 366 6508 today to discuss your requirements and get started.