Break & entry, material, tool & equipment, and inventory thefts have all been on the rise at businesses across the country in early 2023. To protect the valuable items that are contained within a business, and to help maintain normal operations day-to-day, the importance of deploying a security solution that is capable of preventing crime cannot be understated.
How prevalent are forced entry thefts at businesses in 2023?
Instances of break & entry, and theft of inventory, tools, & materials can be found in droves, all across the country. During the overnight hours of Saturday January 14th & Sunday January 15th, a break & entry occurred at a business in Burlington, Ontario, where an unknown suspect(s) smashed the front glass pane of the business, stealing a safe containing cash. Halton Region Police who had attended the scene are searching for the responsible person(s) in this theft, and are seeking the publics’ assistance; however, no suspect description is available to assist in the investigation. (1)
In the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver, BC, a popular outdoor sports shop was targeted by thieves in an overnight break & enter on January 17th to 18th. The suspects were able to make away with up to $250,000 worth of inventory and a safe from the business. After reviewing surveillance footage from inside the store, it was determined that the four thieves had left & returned to the store multiple times throughout the early morning, increasing their take on every return. Vancouver Police Constable Tania Visintin said break & enter crimes are now spreading further outside of the downtown core: “We have seen a lot of break-and-enters in the downtown area but we are now seeing it trickle into other parts of Vancouver, whether that be in Gastown, Marpole, or Kitsilano.” (2)
Early in the morning on Thursday February 2nd, Police in Guelph, Ontario, responded to an alarm at a business in the city’s west end. Upon arriving at the scene, they had discovered that the front door of the business was smashed, and the security bars to prevent entry were found in the parking lot. After investigation and review of the surveillance footage, three individuals arrived at the business, smashed the front window and ripped the security bars from the door with a pickup truck. A cache of tools was reported as stolen in this crime. (3)
The Guelph Police Service has been busy handling reports of break & entry, and theft in early 2023, as they have been investigating a report of theft from a business in the Hanlon Creek business park in the city’s south-end. The owner of the business had called Police on January 11th, after discovering that between $40,000 and $60,000 worth of steel beams had been stolen from the business sometime after Christmas. No suspect(s) description is available, but due to the size and weight of the beams that were stolen from the property, it is believed that a transport truck was used in the heist. (4)
The costs for replacing stolen property & repairing damage to a business go well beyond financial expenditure, as they can cause major delays & disruption to day-to-day operations. What is the best approach to mitigating damage & theft? Can anything be done to prevent it from happening to your business?
It is critical to deploy a Proactive Security Solution to protect your Business.
The majority of the instances of theft reported in past month have occurred at businesses with some level of security implemented at their property. Although security measures were deployed, a common but major issue with these traditional systems is their reactionary nature: they cannot actually prevent crime from occurring. These surveillance systems are only able to document what has already happened; hopefully providing enough context & detailed suspect descriptions to arrest the criminals at a later time.
To protect your business, and prevent these thefts from occurring in the first place, a proactive approach must be implemented. Our innovative security systems & proactive remote video monitoring service are focused on detecting unwanted behaviour, and deterring it before it turns criminal.
Through the development of a customized strategic plan, our team of security professionals assess the threats & vulnerabilities associated with your property – deploying our industry leading live video monitoring units to provide ample protection. Utilizing patented Cellular LTE communications, our video security units & wireless alarm systems provide flexibility & ease of installation, superior perimeter coverage of your business property, and an expansive view of the areas that are the most vulnerable.
Each of our innovative units comes standard equipped with 2 high-resolution stationary cameras for situational awareness & detection, and a high powered pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera capable of gathering specific details & descriptions of criminals – at great distances. Utilizing our video security & wireless alarm systems, and assisted by our proprietary Artificial Intelligence system, remote operators within our UL Certified Live Video Monitoring Facility work to:
1.
Identify unwanted behaviour
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Determine the intent of the trespasser(s)
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Proactively deter them from committing a crime
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Dispatch Police, when required
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Report on the activity on your property
Our Monitoring team is able to communicate directly with the would-be criminal – informing them that they are approaching an off-limits site, all actions are monitored & recorded, and Police will be dispatched if they proceed – by using voice commands issued from our live communications speakers.
Alongside these voice commands, our team will activate our high-visibility blue LED strobe lights to draw ‘unwanted attention’ to the location, as criminals always prefer to work inconspicuously. If they are not deterred by these proactive measures, our team quickly dispatches local law enforcement to the crime-in-progress, providing them with all of the critical details to assist in the apprehension & arrest of the suspect.
As Police are travelling to the scene, our Remote Operators continue to monitor the activity and gather any additional details that will assist Police in arrests, and subsequent court proceedings. Once the security threat has been contained, our team provides all of the details related to the incident directly to you via our security information reporting platform, syncroReports. This platform is your private access point to all of the in-depth security reports from your property, and even provides you access to PTZ camera control & the live video feeds streaming directly from our security units at your business.
The damage associated with break & entry, and losses due to theft have continued to rise across Canada in 2023. To prevent business disruptions and protect your property & inventory, a proactive approach to security is imperative. Choose a security solution proven to protect your assets, while providing peace-of-mind, and proof of your protection – by entrusting Caliber Communications as your security partner.
Resources:
- “Police investigating after safe stolen from Burlington business”, David Lea, The Burlington Post, January 16, 2023
- “Thieves steal up to $250K in products from Vancouver snowboard shop, owner says”, Darrian Matassa-Fung, Global News, January 18, 2023
- “Tools stolen after Guelph, Ont. theft and break-in: police”, Mike Hodges, Global News, February 2, 2023
- “Police looking into stolen steel from Guelph business”, Ken Hashizume, CJOY, January 11, 2023