Christmas is indeed the most wonderful time of the year. For most, it is the time to celebrate and spread joy. For a few others, it is the perfect time of the year to steal the joy by breaking in, creating damage, and carrying out criminal activities. There are higher chances of intrusion and unsociable behaviour during this time of the year as criminals are well aware that vacant businesses and properties without security are easier to break into over the holiday season due to the premises being unoccupied for an extended period.

Research continues to prove that properties and businesses without security are up to five times more likely to be the target for criminals. Aside from thieves looking to make money from selling materials, valuables, etc., there are also several types of intruders looking to vandalise premises for the adrenaline rush or to alleviate boredom. The frequency of these incidents is higher than you would imagine, as many people get drunk and behave erratically at this time.

Christmas and the festive period, in general, are busy times with plenty of activities to carry out and things that require your attention. In addition to these activities, you want to avoid having to respond to on-site incidents and deal with theft, damage, or worse. Hence, additional security measures are required over the festive period, and we have prepared the top security tips and actions that will help you enjoy this Christmas without security concerns:

 

What can you do to improve the security of your property over Christmas?

Ensure Your Property is Secure

Hyperactive youths, drunk adults, and young children are all prone to be tempted to enter vacant properties and businesses to create damage. Ensure all gates or entrances are locked, and all internal doors are closed. In the event of a fire, closed doors can reduce the rate at which it spreads. Sweep over all windows, doors, and shutters to confirm they’re securely locked up before the last person exits the premises.

Store Valuables Away From Sight

If would-be thieves and criminals peer in through the window and notice expensive and valuable possessions in view, they will be motivated to break in. Lock away all valuable items and costly materials in cupboards and storage facilities as much as possible. If unable to do so, hide or cover the items and keep the curtains and blinds shut at all times.

Test Your Alarms

It is far too common to forget the testing of intruder alarms. However, evaluating their performance before the festive period is crucial. If you do not have intruder alarms, make sure you install them as soon as possible. Intruder alarms provide an early warning and alerts in the case of break-ins. The CCTV towers and Pods boast market-leading technology and allow virtual tripwires to be placed anywhere within view. This feature allows audio and visual warnings to be initiated during an intrusion while we initiate the protocols agreed upon to best suit your property.

Deterrence

Prevention is better than cure, and it is wise to discourage would-be thieves from entering the premises in the first place. The presence of security officers, CCTV cameras, mobile patrols, warning signs, etc., aid in deterring criminal attempts.

Display Emergency Contacts

Finally, it’s a brilliant idea to have emergency contact numbers provided to neighbours so that you can be reached in the case of urgent needs that require attending over the closure period.

 

How we can help you to improve site security over Christmas?

Additional Security Officers

Protect your property or business with SIA Licensed security officers from Prime Secure, backed by our industry-leading service team. Security officers act as a visual deterrent to would-be thieves. They can put off any individual trying to break in, protecting the premises from all kinds of obstructions and intrusions. Unauthorised visitors are a significant problem in unattended premises and vacant buildings, and it has also been proven that anti-social behaviour and criminal acts are vastly reduced when security officers patrol as visual deterrents. Based on the size of the premises, one or more officers may be required to manage access safely. Find out more about security officers here.

Mobile Patrols

Prime Secure mobile security officers patrol the streets checking up on our clients’ properties while providing a highly visible presence. Our officers provide excellent security for your business and property, essentially adding another layer of protection to your existing CCTV and alarm systems. The more visible your security measures are, the less likely you are to suffer attempted intrusions in the first place. Our street patrols in one of Edinburgh’s most troubled areas led to an 80% reduction in incidents. We offer bespoke mobile patrols and can deliver permanent mobile patrols or assess your site during designated times upon discussing with you. Find out more about mobile patrols here.

Festive Keyholding

Christmas is a season of events, get-togethers, and parties, and relying on your staff to carry out the responsibilities of a keyholder is risky. In the event of an incident, especially when you may be busy over the festive period, our experienced and well-drilled team will take care of everything. There are many reasons to take advantage of Prime Secure’s keyholding service. Our operatives are SIA-licensed and highly trained. With Prime Secure’s keyholding service, your keys will be kept safe, secure, and readily available to our security officers, who will spring into action as soon as an issue is detected.

Once an incident has been detected, our security officers will be immediately deployed to your property. With our UK-wide coverage, you’re never far from a Prime Secure security officer. No matter the time or location, we will have experienced personnel on-site as soon as possible. Once on-site, our security officers will initiate pre-agreed protocols and thoroughly investigate your site to identify the source of the alarm activation and act accordingly. Learn more about our keyholding services here.

Additional and Temporary CCTV

Additional CCTV cameras can reassure security by maximising your property’s visibility and thus deterring and detecting crime efficiently. Our rapid deployment CCTV towers with deep learning boast a range of high-tech features and are deployed in the most challenging environments. Find out more about our CCTV towers here.

Our V-Pod is another option and excellent CCTV and one of the best and most cost-effective ways of protecting property and assets. Our clients often use it to protect distribution centres, warehouses, stores, vacant and void property, for graffiti prevention, etc. Find out more about our V-Pod here.