Following the national lockdown that began in January 2021, the government has begun lifting some of the restrictions as part of its roadmap to open up the country. So far, that has been allowing social bubbles and family units to mix in larger numbers outdoors but, since 12th April many businesses have been allowed to reopen.
Non-essential shops, barbers and hairdressers, and even some pubs and restaurants (those with outside seating) have now opened to the public for the first time in months. Many have received a sudden influx of customers, all eager to start shopping with them again. These are difficult times for many, and the return to high-street shopping, dining, and drinking could lead to an increase of shoplifting, raised tensions among customers, and more.
Here at Marpol Security, we have put together the following security measures you may wish to put in place when opening up your business after lockdown.
Queue Control and Door Security
While shops have reopened, rules on social distancing, mask wearing, maximum occupancy and so on remain in place. This may require you to limit the number of people entering your store, while insistence on obeying government guidelines can cause some customers to get annoyed or frustrated.
Having trained security staff on hand to manage the queues is an effective way to diffuse the situation. Our security guards are calm, polite, and professional at all times.
Manned Security
As well as door security, it may be worthwhile increasing in-store security. With months under lockdown, many are expecting a significant spike in shoplifting cases as shops that were traditionally targeted (including clothing and electronic stores) have not been trading. By hiring our static security guards, you have a trained and licensed security professional to look after your stock, staff, and customers.
CCTV Surveillance
As stores refill their stockrooms following the end of lockdown, they become a prime target for occupational criminals, looking to enter the building at night. Here at Marpol Security, we design and install CCTV surveillance systems to help keep an eye on your business after hours. The remote video feed is monitored 24 hours a day. In the event of a break in or other disturbance, our monitoring unit will alert one of our mobile patrols in your area.
Mobile Patrols
Our mobile patrols drive around our clients’ local neighbourhoods during both the day and night. Their job is to keep an eye out for unusual activity as well as respond to requests for assistance from our on-site security guards or our CCTV monitoring unit. As their route keeps them close to all clients in the area, they can be at your property within minutes.