If you are an owner of a brick and mortar business in Washington State, it is no secret that your establishment is more vulnerable now than ever. During the COVID-19 Stay Home, Stay Healthy order, non-essential businesses are forced to shut their doors, leaving their buildings vacant. Once crowded downtown streets and shopping districts have become ghost towns, breeding the perfect conditions for commercial burglaries.
Even more concerning to vulnerable businesses, Washington State’s Governor Jay Inslee recently signed an order which referenced the immediate release of non-violent inmates from jail in an effort to keep our jails and prisons safe from the virus. Seattle Police Chief also recently stated that “non-violent and non-DV offenders are being interviewed and released in most cases”, meaning no jail time. This, coupled with an understaffed police department, creates an environment of increased criminal activity. Seattle’s West Precinct (stadium district, downtown, Belltown, South Lake Union, Queen Anne etc.) has, as of Friday, April 3, seen an increase of 87% over the previous 28 days. It is clear that this increase is directly associated with the numerous changes invoked as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. The thought going through everyone’s minds, especially business owners, is “when will life go back to normal?”
There is still so much uncertainty about the path back to normalcy. For this reason, it is more important now than ever to have security measures in place. Boarding up windows and doors just tells criminals that your business is not only guaranteed to be vacant, but that there is also a strong likelihood that there are valuables inside. Businesses with traditional alarms are at a high risk as well, due to no one around to verify an alarm once tripped. With an understaffed and over worked police force combined with a huge increase in criminal activity, law enforcement is much less likely to respond to an alarm unless it is verified.
How do you keep your business safe in this environment of increased crime?
Given the severity of the situation here are three things you can do to keep your business safe:
- Remove your valuables from your business
- Improve the lighting around your business as better visibility will still decrease the odds of a break in.
- And lastly, have at Professional security system company install a video verified alarm system.
Why is a Video Verified Security System so important?
Unlike a traditional alarm system, a video verified system includes operators that are able to verify a burglary in progress and instantly communicate vital details to law enforcement. With law enforcement stretched so thin, odds are your business will receive a quicker police response with a verified alarm system over a traditional alarm system.
This is why businesses need a Secure Pacific Video Verified Security System. Secure Pacific is the leading video verified security company in the northwest, with over 40 years of experience serving the region. With a concentration on customer service, high quality products (such as real time remote viewing capabilities) and in-house verification (located in Everett, WA), Secure Pacific has established themselves as an obvious choice for commercial grade security. Results speak the loudest and Secure Pacific’s alarms have yielded over 40 arrests in the last 45 days just in the Pacific Northwest. Crime rates are up and police are making it a priority to respond to verified alarms.
To keep our friends, family and customers safe, we all must continue to do our part in helping decrease the spread of the virus. As a business owner, now is the right time to make security improvements, without disruptions to daily operations. Now is the time to upgrade your security to a Secure Pacific Video Verified Security System.
Stay Safe, Stay Healthy & Stay Secure.
Article by Theo Natsis / April 22, 2020 / Security Resources