What To Do When You Notice Your Store's Lock Has Been Broken
Breaking into stores and dealing with theft is scary, but it is not unheard of. As a business owner, you live with the possibility that your business could be breached someday. When it is the first time that a break-in has happened to you, you may be in a panic about what to do about your store. To prepare for the possibility of a break-in, here is an action plan to follow if you notice that your store's lock was broken.
You should remove yourself from the area
The last thing that you want to do is have yourself or your employees confront any thieves. Thieves do not want to be caught, and many can become physically aggressive if confronted in order to get away. Instead of going into the building, you and any employees should immediately leave the area. You can go back to your cars or to another public area, such as in front of another store that is open. Being in an open and well-lit area is safest.
Call the non-emergency line for police
If there is no active theft going on or if you cannot see anyone inside of your store, you should call the non-emergency line for the police. Most counties have a non-emergency line for cops that can be called. This will still dispatch a cop to your area, but it will also let the dispatch center know that it is not an active emergency. Calling the regular telephone line will also give you the chance to log in and check any remote video cameras that you may have inside your store. Once the police come to your store, have them inspect the store to make sure that there is no one inside. After the visual inspection, they can write up a police report for you to give to your insurance company.
Have the locks inspected before a reinstall
Aside from getting a new lock for the door to your store, it is important to know how the lock was broken in the first place. If the lock was breakable with the help of a small tool, you will need to get a lock with reinforcement that cannot be broken easily. If you have an electronic lock that malfunctioned, you will need a lock that is updated to work only with the codes or passes that you have programmed. Talk with your commercial locksmith to ask what kind of lock will prevent a break-in or make it much more difficult from now on.