Security Solutions for Smash and Grab Prevention

Smash-and-grab incidents are on the riseA in the United States. These types of break-ins are fast, forceful, and often financially devastating, leaving business owners scrambling to recover from things like stolen inventory, property destruction, and shaken employee morale.

The following guide unpacks the question, “What is ‘smash and grab’?” and outlines how you can protect yourself against these burglaries with the latest tools and best practices.

What Is Smash and Grab Robbery?Title

A smash-and-grab robbery is a form of theft characterized by its speed and destructive intensity. Thieves forcibly break through windows, doors, and display cases, stealing high-value merchandise and getting away in minutes, if not faster.

Flash mob robberiesA are a particularly malicious example of smash-and-grab events that have plagued California’s Bay Area in recent years. Of course, these heinous retail crimes are not solely limited to San Francisco; businesses throughout the country are feeling the pressure.

Common targets include the following retail establishments:

• Jewelry stores
• Electronics boutiques
• Gas stations
• Car dealerships
• Convenience stores
• Retail parking lots

Smash-and-grab crimes typically result in thousands in losses per incident, and just as much in property damage.

Why Smash and Grab Robberies Are on the RiseTitle

Retailers across the U.S. have seen an uptick in smash-and-grab attacks, especially in high-traffic urban areas. Several factors are fueling this epidemic, namely, limited deterrence and minimal risk for offenders.

Ram raidingA and organized retail theftA are also contributing to the smash-and-grab trend; these robberies strip stores of merchandise and often lead to closures, safety concerns, and reputational damage.

Effective Security Solutions to Prevent Smash and Grab RobberiesTitle

Preventing your store from becoming a target of smash-and-grabs requires setting up layers of defense that will work together to deter, slow down, and catch thieves. Some solutions to consider are as follows:

Surveillance CamerasTitle

Start with visibility. High-definition cameras act as both a deterrent and a source of evidence, though, in particular, you’ll want to look for the following:

• AI-powered video analytics to spot loitering or suspicious activity
• Pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) and thermal cameras to cover your entire property
• Integration with live monitoring systems for real-time intervention

These features will help protect your business; just make sure you cover every major angle.

Perimeter Security and FencingTitle

Physical barriers slow down intruders. As such, your business can reduce the risk of smash-and-grabs by installing things like:

• Steel bollards to keep vehicles from ramming through your entrance
• Fencing and gates around parking lots or rear entrances
• Shatterproof window film to reinforce glass

While these barriers won’t keep thieves out indefinitely, they can certainly slow them down and discourage some from ever attempting to break in in the first place.

Access ControlTitle

Limit who can enter sensitive areas, such as your safe, storage room, and employee workspace, by using:

• Smart locks and keypads
• Integrated control panels that sync with camera systems
• Electronic gates

Educate your team on how to use these preventive tools and encourage them to adhere to general security tactics, such as securely shutting doors behind them and avoiding sharing PIN codes, passwords, or ID cards.

LightingTitle

A well-lit property discourages criminal activity, especially at night. Motion-activated lights around your storefront and parking lot can illuminate dark areas and scare away loitering criminals. And bright exterior floodlights will leave criminals with nowhere to hide if they try to approach your store.

Security Guards and Onsite PersonnelTitle

Your options here are twofold:

• On-site guards during high-risk hours
• Virtual security guards who monitor live camera feeds and intervene instantly

Unfortunately, staffing your business with in-person security 24/7 is cost-prohibitive. Therefore, you’ll need to pick and choose when to have security on the premises. If your establishment is located in a business park or strip mall, you could partner with other owners in the area to split the cost.

How Technology Can Enhance Smash and Grab PreventionTitle

Of course, nothing replaces having a fellow worker to deter criminal activity, but artificial intelligence (AI) doesn’t sleep, and it doesn’t miss a thing. That’s why more retailers are investing in smart tech that actively guards their properties.

Here are some innovative solutions that can help you reduce your risk of a smash-and-grab robbery:

AI-Powered Video MonitoringTitle

Modern security systems, such as Deep Sentinel’s, use AI to detect threats in real time. In particular, our platform can spot the following:

• Suspicious loitering
• Glass breakage
• Forced entry attempts

The system will then immediately alert a live guard who will assess the situation and choose to either intervene via two-way audio or notify law enforcement to coordinate the response to your business.

Real-Time Monitoring and AlertsTitle

You need to know about a threat when it’s happening, not minutes or hours later. With that in mind, it’s crucial to invest in instant notifications that go to you or law enforcement, as well as verified threat systems to reduce the risk of false alarms.

A real-time approach closes the gap between detection and action. As smash-and-grabs are all about speed and surprise, being able to react just as quickly as the threat emerges means you have a better chance of deterring or minimizing the impact of the crime.

Cloud-Based StorageTitle

Video evidence is vital for law enforcement and filing insurance claims. Cloud storage allows you to securely store that footage and access it from anywhere to easily share it with law enforcement, your legal team, or your insurer.

Best Practices for Retail Security Against Smash and Grab CrimesTitle

Having great technology in place is critical, but that’s not the full picture. You also need to invest in more tangible tactics, such as the following:

Employee TrainingTitle

Your team members are your first line of defense. Train them to recognize and report suspicious behavior right away, and provide clear steps for reporting unusual incidents and what to do during an emergency. You don’t want them to freeze or guess when the pressure is on.

Collaboration With Law EnforcementTitle

Work with local and state law enforcement agencies to fortify your store against threats. Share suspicious activity and report any unusual events, even if no theft occurred. Law enforcement agencies will keep you informed about crime patterns in your area.

Regular Security AuditsTitle

Periodically walk around your perimeter to uncover weak points. Additionally, inspect your existing equipment, including flood lights, cameras, alarms, and storage systems, to ensure they are all working properly.

How Deep Sentinel Can Help Prevent Smash and Grab RobberiesTitle

Deep Sentinel delivers retail security solutionsA that change how businesses respond to threats. Our solutions include:

• AI-powered cameras
• Live guard intervention
• Verified alarms
• Scalable equipment and support

Deep Sentinel can provide the support you need now and grow with you. Protect every location against theft and smash-grab robbery with our dynamic suite of tools.

Protect Your Business With Deep SentinelTitle

Deep Sentinel offers virtual security guardsA, AI cameras, and other cutting-edge solutions designed to promote smash-and-grab prevention. Each of these will give you an edge in the fight against retail crime. Contact Deep Sentinel for more information today.

Smash and Grab FAQsTitle

The Next Level: When Deterrence Isn’t Enough

While prevention goes a long way, some businesses want more powerful solutions. This is where innovative technology like FlashBang comes in.

FlashBang is not your typical security system. It’s a proactive defense mechanism designed to deter and incapacitate would-be thieves at the scene of the crime. Using a combination of advanced technology and non-lethal (but certainly harmful) deterrents, FlashBang creates a barrier of protection around businesses, making them less vulnerable to smash-and-grab attacks.

• Sensory Overload: Leveraging painful pepper spray, disorienting smoke bombs, blinding strobe lights, and deafening high-pitched sound, the system interrupts the robbery and drives thieves out.
• Powerful Partnership: FlashBang integrates directly with Deep Sentinel’s award-winning live video monitoring service, AI, and PoE security cameras, allowing businesses to deploy additional protection.

How does it work? When human movement triggers the system’s integrated cameras, a professional security guard accesses real-time footage. The guard can then intervene and choose to deploy additional FlashBang deterrents, designed to discomfort, disorient, and deter intruders. In addition to thwarting the immediate threat, these deterrents attract lots of attention, increasing the likelihood of swift action.

As the criminals scurry and writhe in pain, the Deep Sentinel guards are already on the phone with local police, providing detailed suspect descriptions and directing them to the crime scene. This proactive approach provides peace of mind to business owners and employees alike—and gives criminals a taste of their own medicine.

The End of Smash-and-Grab Crime as We Know It

The threat of smash-and-grab robberies looms large over businesses and communities worldwide. But with the advent of innovative solutions like FlashBang, there is good reason for optimism. By embracing preventative measures and staying one step ahead of would-be thieves, businesses can not only protect their assets but also reclaim their sense of security.

Options like FlashBang provide an extra layer of defense, while solutions like Deep Sentinel’s video surveillance system backed by professional live intervention offer another way to fight back proactively. Combine the two, and robbers won’t know what hit them.

Let’s not let fear prevail. It’s time to secure our businesses and finally make criminals—rather than crime—pay.

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