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Security tips for stores, sites and homes
Low-cost habits that make your cameras, and the people watching them, more useful.
Cameras
Cover every entrance at face height
The most useful view for police is a clear face at the door. Mount the camera between 7 and 8 feet, not up near the ceiling.
Give the register two angles
One camera on the cashier’s hands and drawer, one facing the customer at the counter.
Light the lot, the dock and the back door
Cameras need light or working infrared to show faces and plates. Check your night views once a month.
Keep the recorder online and on time
Use a wired internet connection, and set the recorder clock to your time zone so clips match receipts.
Cash handling
Count cash only on camera
Do every till count in the cash office, under a camera, never in a blind spot.
Drop to the safe often
Keep as little cash in the drawer as you can, especially after dark.
Write the procedure down
Who counts, when, and where. Monitoring works best when everyone knows the rules.
Gas stations and stores
Consider prepay after dark
Asking customers to pay before they pump at night is one of the simplest ways to cut drive-offs.
Keep windows and sight lines clear
Staff and cameras should see the pumps and the lot from inside. Don’t cover windows with posters.
Post “live monitored” signs
At the door and at the pumps. Plenty of people change their mind when they know someone is watching.
Smoke shops and high-value stock
Protect the glass
Bollards or heavy planters in front of doors, and security film on storefront glass, slow down smash-and-grabs.
Empty the best cases overnight
Move the highest-value stock into a locked room or safe at closing.
Watch for casing visits
Repeat visits without purchases, or cars parked facing the store, often come before a break-in. Tell us about them.
Warehouses, yards and job sites
Lock and light the gate
Stolen equipment and trailers have to leave by vehicle. Light the gate, lock it, and put a camera on the plates.
Disable equipment overnight
Remove keys, use battery disconnects and park machines where cameras can see them.
Check pickups at the dock
Fake pickups are a paperwork problem. Verify carriers and drivers before loading.
Homes
Cover the porch and the driveway
Visitors, packages and cars all meet at the front door and driveway. Cover those views first.
Keep cameras outside in rentals
Exterior cameras only for any rented space, and never bedrooms or bathrooms.
Tell us when you travel
Let us know when a home will be empty so we can watch it more closely.
Staff safety
Safety first, always
Tell staff never to chase or confront a thief. Stock and cash can be replaced.
Take the trash out in daylight
Or with two people. Back doors at night are a common way in.
Give staff a clear call list
Owner, manager, police: everyone should know who to call and in what order.
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