In an industry where business is literally cute puppies and cuddly kittens, many pet retailers might not think much about the darker side inherent in every retail operation: the possibility that their store might become the target of a crime.
But all too often news headlines indicate that this possibility can become a reality. Consider the following recent reports:
In February, two men robbed a pet store in Brooklyn, N.Y. They held employees at gunpoint while the store’s manager opened a safe. The suspects made off with more than $1,300.
In late June, three men entered through the rear door of a pet store in Fairfax County, Va., as employees were closing the store for the night. An armed suspect forced the employees to lie down on the ground. The men then stole an undisclosed amount of cash and fled.
In mid-July, two men robbed a pet store in Mountain View, Calif. One man held the clerk at gunpoint while the other looted the contents of two registers.
As these and other reports indicate, crime is an all-too-real threat for retailers. And although store owners cannot allow fear to dominate how they operate their establishments, they can take steps to safeguard themselves and their employees from dangers associated with robberies and other criminal activities.
The Darkest Side
Rebecca Gershten, owner of Sixth Avenue Pet Source in Denver, has seen the darkest side of crime imaginable. In February last year, she was attacked, raped and robbed while working alone in her pet store. Her assailant—a serial rapist responsible for a number of similar attacks—was captured several days later and is currently serving a sentence of more than 1,300 years.
Following her attack, Gershten witnessed a tremendous outpouring of support from her customers and community. This support, coupled with therapy and time, has enabled her to emerge from her attack as a strong voice for rape awareness and crime prevention.
Gershten returned to work two days after her attack and still operates Sixth Avenue Pet Source today—though many things have changed in her day-to-day operations.
“I’m still here because I feel so committed to my customers,” she says. “I did whatever I needed to do to feel safe. Although safety is somewhat of an illusion, you are never completely safe, but there are steps that can be taken.”
An Ounce of Prevention
Gershten’s story, while it represents an extreme, and thankfully rare, example of crime that can befall a person and establishment, offers lessons for retailers looking to establish safeguards for their employees.
“Prior to the attack, I had a lock on the front door that locked from the inside,” Gershten says. “He used that to lock me in the store, and he turned off the open sign. I had no way out, and no one could get in.”
Now, the lock on the door at Gershten’s store requires a key to lock from the inside.
“Also, I did have an alarm at the time of the attack, but the keypad was in no place that made any sense.”
Today, Gershten’s store is outfitted with security cameras, and she carries a personal panic button that is wired to the store’s alarm system.
“I know it’s probably overkill, but it makes me feel safer,” she says.
Joe LaRocca, vice president of loss prevention for the National Retail Federation, says that employee safety and crime prevention is a topic that retailers do not give enough consideration. He says retailers can take steps to reduce the likelihood that a store will be a target.
“Safety measures might include extra lighting in a parking lot or security cameras,” he says. “Public-view monitors are a deterrent. The No. 1 thing going through a person’s mind when they rob a store is that they don’t want to get caught.”
In addition to precautions at the front of stores, retailers should also consider putting security measures in place for their back rooms, LaRocca says. Whenever possible, back doors should remain locked.
LaRocca recommends that employee belongings kept in back rooms be locked up, as thieves often target these areas when they are left unprotected.
Employee Education
Although certain prevention measures may deter criminals from targeting a retail outlet, employee education is key to ensuring that the danger to employees and customers is minimized if a crime occurs.
“Employees must know that their safety and that of the customers is the No. 1 priority,” LaRocca says. “If the store is robbed, give them the money. Give them the merchandise. Get them out of the store as fast as possible and contact the police after they leave.”
Some store owners give employees a training manual; others do hands-on training regarding security policies. No matter what a store chooses to do, LaRocca emphasizes that it should be ongoing.
“Training on topics like this shows employees that the store owners care about them,” LaRocca says. “If an employee is put in a violent, stressful situation, they need to know how to respond. When you read about store robberies, you read about one of two situations: Either the employees remained calm, or the employees panicked and the entire situation became one of chaos. That’s the difference between good and bad training.”
LaRocca also recommends that stores do regular register drops to keep the amount of cash in registers to a minimum.
“You don’t want to turn a customer into a would-be robber just because they catch a glimpse of how much money is in the register,” he says.
Gershten also stresses that employees must be observant of customers, particularly those that seem suspicious.
“You don’t have to be paranoid, but you can still be observant,” she says.
“Know your customers and know who is not your customer.”
Employees shouldn’t be afraid to trust their instincts, Gershten says.
“Be aware of your surroundings,” she says. “If you feel uncomfortable, don’t be afraid to lock the door or announce that you have to close up the store due to an emergency.”
According to LaRocca, retailers can also seek help in crime prevention from outside parties.
“Many police stations will have an officer come to the store and talk to employees about tips for crime prevention,” he says.
Regardless of the prevention measures implemented by retailers, crime does happen. If it does, store owners may have to work to reassure employees and of their safety while on the job.
“Store owners need to make sure that the police are involved after a crime,” LaRocca says. “Show employees that you are working with police to get to the bottom of what happened. Also, make sure other employees know what happened. Don’t let the rumor mill get started.”
Following a crime, a store might decide to take a variety of added security measures, including bringing on security personnel or staffing extra employees.
“Now I’m never alone at the store,” Gershten says. “I think that should be standard practice.”
Depending on the nature of the crime, employees—especially those affected most directly by the incident—might require time off or counseling.
“Owners need to let employees know that they care about their safety,” LaRocca says. “Generally, stores are not targeted over and over. Employees should know that the chances of something like that happening again are very slim.”