The holidays are fast approaching, and we are entering a time when criminals are committing theft and vandalism on commercial properties at an alarming rate. How can our proactive holiday security help businesses thrive during the holiday season?
The battle against holiday crime.
The holiday season is upon us, and although many in our communities will be spreading goodwill and cheer, others may have different plans. Many businesses across Canada have unfortunately seen a rise in crime during the holiday season – in the form of trespassing, theft, and vandalism.
Commercial properties are often targeted after-hours and on weekends when there is less activity and staff on-site. There is an even wider window for holiday crime to occur during the holiday break, on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day, and the days in between when businesses may be closed due to holiday celebrations. Criminals target these properties during the holiday season as they are often unintentionally left vulnerable during this time, and are more enticing due to this window of inactivity.
The numbers don’t lie – we’ve deterred a lot of crime during the month of December. In 2021, we deterred a total of 3,078 potential crimes during December, and saw that number rise by an astounding 111% by December of 2023. These statistics highlight how important effective holiday crime deterrence is needed during the holidays.
Holiday theft runs rampant across Canada.
Incidents of holiday theft and crime threaten to put a damper on holiday celebrations. These crimes can present themselves in many forms – from large scale crimes such as theft, to smaller crimes such as cutting down community trees, stealing of Christmas lights and decorations, or targeting charities for donated items. In Windsor, ON, Police dealt with a rash of crime over the 2023 holiday break, including a rise in shoplifting and break and enters. For instance, one man was arrested and charged with breaking and entering at three separate businesses in the Lakeshore area when they were closed for the holiday break. The increase in crime preceding and over the holiday break put Police on high alert as criminals became even more brazen in their attempts to steal, without regard for the businesses they were targeting. (1)
In October 2024, Winnipeg Police received extra funding from the province to help combat commercial theft during the holiday season to cover high theft hot spots in the city. A recent report found that more than half of Manitoba businesses have been affected by theft and safety issues in the last year. (2)
This past November, Montreal Police responded to a major theft from a local non-profit organization. Two thieves stole $10,000 worth of meat after breaking into a refrigerated trailer and loading up their bike trailers with the inventory. The food was reserved to feed more than 2,000 families in the Montreal area at a time when it is needed most. As a result, the theft has put the charity’s Christmas basket program in jeopardy. (3)
During the same period, burglars targeted and stole thousands of dollars worth of expensive sports jerseys from a sports store in Windsor, ON. The thieves were brazen in their efforts – using a vehicle to yank the front door off its hinges and enter the business. The crime occurred early in the morning before the business owner arrived for the day. The owner subsequently spent over 20 hours contacting his suppliers to find replacements for the stolen items, many of which were no longer available – so he can try to meet the holiday demand and keep his business running. (4)
What can businesses do to help prevent holiday crime?
Sault Ste. Marie Police have listed some tips for how businesses can prevent crime on their properties during the holiday season (5):
Remove valuables from storefronts to help reduce smash and grab thefts
Remove all cash from till and leave it open in plain view to signal no money is in the till
Clearly post signage on the door/window to indicate that no money is left on premises
Keep some lighting on inside for surveillance opportunities during the evening
Consider installing an alarm monitoring system or surveillance camera system that can be monitored
How can we help provide effective holiday security?
Crime has many negative effects on businesses beyond just theft and vandalism itself. Crime may impact a businesses’ trust and reputation in the community, and potential customers may be hesitant to visit their property. Businesses may face additional challenges such as incurring cost to replace items and structures, downtime to business hours during repairs, ensuring employee safety, and operating efficiently in the face of crime.
Establishing robust holiday security on your commercial property begins with site mapping and creating a customized security plan. Our Security Logistics team will coordinate and determine the ideal areas for camera placement to provide complete coverage, and draft a complete security plan & map uniquely tailored to your property. This security plan identifies and notates the challenges and solutions required to help provide complete security coverage.
Our Video Security Units establish perimeter coverage and situational awareness – providing an envelope of holiday security protection around your site perimeter. Equipped with two stationary cameras and dedicated PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera that allows our Remote Video Monitoring team to zoom in on important details in high resolution, it’s a complete package of security camera technology. Multiple units can be installed to cover all the angles – leveraging our proprietary cellular LTE+ platform to create a wireless security grid of proactive protection.
Our camera views are supercharged by our proprietary AI platform, syncroAI. AI is leading the charge in modern crime deterrence – allowing our Remote Video Monitoring team to make more accurate discernments than ever before. Once detected by AI, suspects are quickly deterred from acting by our Live Remote Video Monitoring team, who are committed to deterring crime before it happens, in real-time. They utilize loud voice commands and activate bright LED strobe lights to send the message that your business property is off limits. If suspects don’t cease in their actions, our team will alert Police to attend the scene.
In addition to our Video Security Units – our wireless intrusion alarm system, syncroDetect, is a complimentary solution to help deter holiday crime. syncroDetect is implemented in interior and sensitive spaces such as offices, stock rooms, storage trailers, and warehouses. Wireless door & window contact sensors will alarm if they are breached, and motion detectors will detect movement, providing additional coverage and detections for our Live Remote Video Monitoring team to leverage in protection of your business.
Our proprietary reporting platform, syncroReports, provides full access and security transparency for your property, at your fingertips. Watch live video feeds, control PTZ camera movement, view log reports, and more on web and mobile whenever you need it. This portal provides peace of mind, and proof of your protection at all times, so you can rest assured your business is secure during the holiday season, and beyond.
The holidays are a time to spread goodwill and cheer, and to give back to our communities. Proactive security with Live Remote Video Monitoring is an effective way to help combat crime during the holiday, and beyond.
Resources:
- “Several facing charges after retail thefts throughout the holidays”, Maureen Revait, WindsorNewsToday.ca, January 5, 2024
- “Anti-theft initiative in Winnipeg expanded again, will run through holiday season”, CBC News Manitoba, October 24, 2024
- “Thieves on bikes steal $10K of meat from Montreal-area Christmas charity”, CBC News Montreal, November 22, 2024
- “Ahead of Christmas shopping rush, burglars make off with jerseys, after busting into Windsor sports store”, Julie Kotsis, Windsor Star, November 12, 2024
- “Crime Prevention for Business”, Sault Ste. Marie Police