How Access Control Systems Prevent Shoplifting and Internal Theft
There are a number of reasons that retail stores benefit from access control systems. Shoplifting and employee theft are crimes that cost businesses millions of dollars each year. Using an access control system can help ensure you’re not one of those businesses being victimized. One of the most effective ways to control access is by using physical security tools like a security gate.
Security gates are not just useful for keeping criminals out of your retail store, they are also used to restrict access within the store, making it significantly more difficult for crimes such as shoplifting to take place.
Using Security Gates to Prevent Shoplifting
Shoplifting costs businesses a great deal of money every year. Thankfully, by using security gates and other types of physical security, you can deter shoplifters and reduce the likelihood of having your property stolen.
Security gates can be used to secure areas like stock rooms and other parts of your store where customers are not permitted. By installing security gates in these areas, you are not only preventing access to these locations, but the physical deterrent also visually shows everyone who enters the store that these locations are secured.
You can also use security gates to protect dangerous or high-value items. This ensures that anyone who wishes to access these items will need to ask a store associate to do so, which drastically reduces shoplifting. Small items that have a high value, such as cell phones and other electronics, are often targets for shoplifters. Locking these items behind security gates or in locked cabinets will secure them against shoplifting.
Using Security Gates to Prevent Employee Theft
Unfortunately, it’s not just outside criminals businesses need to worry about. Theft by employees is another considerable cost for many businesses. Fortunately, you can use security gates to cut the amount of internal theft that your business experiences.
For example, security gates on a stock room do not just prevent shoplifters from accessing your stock, they also prevent unwanted or unnecessary employee access. By installing security gates, you can ensure that only trusted employees who are required to access your stock room are allowed to do so. You can also secure file rooms, server rooms and any other sensitive location with security gates in an effort to prevent employee theft.
As with shoplifting, in many cases, simply having a physical security solution will deter crime. Security gates and other physical security tools act as a visual deterrent. Anyone who might be considering a crime will see that the security solution is installed and recognize that this tool will make it significantly more difficult to commit a crime. This will prevent many people from even trying.
This is one of the most important aspects of physical security. People know how tough it is to commit a crime when security gates or other physical security solutions are installed. Therefore, your retail store isn’t even considered a target when it utilizes physical security methods. This keeps your location safer, prevents theft and saves you the time, hassle and expense of dealing with a crime.
Want some more tips to improving the security of your business? Download our helpful guide to Improving Your Security Mindset.