You Survived a Robbery – Now What?
Friday, July 30, 2010 21:12You own or manage a store, restaurant, bank, check-cashing establishment or other similar type of business. One or more robbers entered your business through the front door and demanded money. You or your employees complied with the robber(s) demands and gave them the money. No one was hurt and now the robber(s) have left your business through the back or side door. The employees locked all the doors so the robber(s) don’t return and have called 911. Now what?
One of the key components to this scenario is the doors that the robber(s) used to enter and exit the business. When the police arrive, does it matter what door they are let in?
The answer to this question is that the police should be let in the door that the robber(s) entered from because any fingerprints from the robber(s) would be on the outside portion of the door and would be of little value as far as evidence. If the robber(s) fingerprints are on the inside of the door they exited, the fingerprints would place the criminal(s) inside the business that was just robbed.
How to Respond After a Robbery
After a robbery, lock the doors to make sure the robber(s) do not come back and that no witnesses leave or new customers enter the business. Once the police arrive, let them in the same door the robber(s) entered your business. If the robber(s) exited the same door they entered, have the police enter through a different door for your business so that no evidence is compromised or destroyed as you are letting the police into your place of business.
Depending on the situation, you may use the phone to call the police or set off the holdup alarm if you had one installed for your business. Develop procedures to follow after a robbery and train your employees in these procedures. It is also a good idea to have laminated cards made up with the steps to follow after a robbery. If the laminated cards are at each workstation and employees have access to grease pencils, they can easily mark off each item as it is completed. With this type of setup, procedures are not forgotten by employees and the greatest amount of evidence can be preserved to catch and prosecute the criminal(s).
Attention to details makes a difference when trying to secure your business as well as dealing with a security incident such as a robbery. It is the details that will allow the greatest amount of evidence to be preserved and your business to get back on track quickly. Plan ahead now before you need it!
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