Business Security Information

Can you prevent car break-ins?  The short answer is no, but there are things that you can do to reduce the chance of becoming a victim.  No matter whether you are traveling for business or just jetting around town with your friends or family, someone breaking into your vehicle can really put a damper on things.

My wife and four of her friends went on an out-of-town trip to a conference last week and ended up being victims of a car break-in.  Instead of going to the hotel first, the women went right to the conference center.  The conference center had a security officer at the entrance to the conference parking area, and a good portion of the lot was fenced in except for the back portion along the railroad tracks.  Of course, most of it was chain link except for the front which was a decorative fencing material.  Chain link fencing provides no security, but that is another discussion, so I will let that go for now.  Anyway, after going to the conference for a couple of hours, they came out to find the side window broken and glass everywhere.  A GPS unit and one  carry bag were missing.  When someone breaks into your vehicle, they are usually looking for high dollar items that can be resold quickly and easily.  This can include such things as mp3 players, cell phones, GPS units, satellite radios, laptop computers, and even simple things such as prescription medications and cash.

How can you reduce the chance of being a victim on a business trip or when traveling around town?  Here are 10 tips to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of a car break-in.

1. Research the area to which you are traveling, especially when traveling to a different area or city.  A lot of police departments have crime stats on-line, or you can just as easily call them to get details regarding the area(s) you will be traveling to.
2. Lock your doors when leaving you vehicle, even for just a few minutes.  Some statistics state that up to one-quarter of the vehicles broken into are unlocked.
3. Put items where they are not visible from outside the vehicle.  In my wife’s case, the GPS unit was still on the front windshield when they locked the vehicle and went inside.  Basically, this says, “Rob me!”   My wife and her friends also had two laptops in the back of the vehicle that were not visible from the outside of the vehicle and could not be seen even once the side window had been broken.  The laptops were not stolen.
4. To further make items inside the vehicle invisible from the outside, I would recommend the use of tinted glass.  I know some states and cities have restrictions on the amount of tint you can have on your vehicle windows, but if yours does not use as dark a tint as possible so that someone outside the vehicle cannot see inside the vehicle.
5. Conceal not only the item(s) but all evidence that you have the item. This includes such things as chargers, iPod adapters, suction cup mounts for GPS and satellite radio or any accessory that may be a give away that you have something of value in the vehicle.
6. Hide your items before you park, not after. Many thieves hang out in parking lot looking for people putting valuable items in their trunk or other locations when they are exiting the vehicle.
7. Completely close windows and sunroofs. I know it gets hot during some seasons, but this prevents someone from reaching in by hand or with the use of a tool to unlock the vehicle. An open window also can affect the pressure sensor in some car alarms making it more likely that the alarm will not go off when the window is broken.
8. Get an alarm system for your vehicle. I know most people don’t even pay attention to car alarms anymore, and for experienced thieves, it may not be a deterrent,  but it will scare most inexperienced thieves off.  Anything that makes the thief feel more exposed or vulnerable is a good thing.  Remember, remote entry is not a security alarm system.  Also, do not buy an alarm system based on price but based on quality.
9. Park in a well-lit and visible area of the parking lot or garage. Now this did not seem to work in my wife’s case because they parked in a populated part of the parking lot, but they were the only one’s broken into.  I would say that has more to do with items #2 and #4.  The GPS unit was visible and a tempting target.
10. Installing security film. This last item I would recommend that you decide whether you think it is worthwhile.  There is security film available on the market that makes it harder for some one to smash a window, and I have recommended it’s use at a number of business structures.  My concern for the vehicle market is that it will be harder for windows to be broken on your vehicle in the case of rescue or an escape situation from your vehicle.  The security film usually requires a number of good hits to crack the window, and then the film must be cut before it can be penetrated.  It would work great for car break-ins, but you will have to decide whether you are comfortable with this.

As I have stated before, security must be implemented in a layered approach.  If you look at the above noted items, you can take and implement some or all of them to make a layered approach to security.

Just to let everyone know how my wife’s story ended, the police caught the thieves after a traffic stop that night and found them with a number of cell phones, GPS units, and even the one bag that was taken from the vehicle.  The thieves were still at it and had not gotten rid of anything.  It looks like the GPS and the one bag will be returned to their rightful owners after all.  Most car break ins do not end this way.  Most stolen items are never found, and the thieves are never caught.  It is much better to take precautionary measures up front and not become a victim.  That is what security is all about.

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1. Roller Shutters — Security
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3. The Role of a Security Alarm System