Preventing Robbery

Robbery is the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, control or custody of another person by force, or by threat of force or violence, and/or by putting the victim in fear of his/her safety.

The difference between most burglaries and all robberies is a frightening one--you are there! Robbery is a dangerous crime because most robbers carry weapons and the potential for them to use the weapon if provoked is very real.

Prevention is an attitude.

How you think, how you act and the appearance of your place of business has a great deal to do with your risk of being robbed.

Think like a crook!

Interviews with ex-robbers produced this list:

A cluttered or messy store

A business that is careless with merchandise and appearance will be careless with its money.

Invisible cash registers

Robbers prefer stores where the cash register can't be seen from the street.

Poor lighting

Dark parking lots are great for getting away unseen.

No witnesses

Robbers prefer targets where they can confront a single victim.

Large sums of money

Robbers want quick cash and big bucks. They often look for large bills in the register (when it is open during a sale) before deciding whether or not to rob.

Easy escape routes

Robbers like targets with a clear path to a nearby freeway or arterial street.

More Information:

Six Steps to Prevention

What to Do in the Event of a Robbery