• Printer Friendly
  • Text Resizer

Common Crimes and Prevention

Who is at Risk?

The main crime categories that often affect commercial business are:

  • Steal from retail/shoplifting
  • Robbery
  • Malicious damage
  • Fraud

Banks and other financial institutions were traditionally at risk. Due to improved security at these businesses, offenders increasingly target smaller businesses. These can be:

  • Service stations
  • Licensed clubs and hotels
  • Video rental shops
  • Newsagencies
  • TAB outlets
  • Liquor stores
  • Fast food outlets
  • Pharmacies
  • Real estate agents
  • Corner stores and supermarkets

Graffiti

Graffiti vandalism is a crime. The path of graffiti often follows main roads, railway corridors, railway stations, shopping centres, cycle and pedestrian ways, residential property; industrial property, parks and storm water drains. It is important to remove graffiti from your premise as quickly as possible after it occurs to reduce the reoccurrence of graffiti vandalism.

Holroyd City Council conducts random and routine maintenance for the removal of graffiti throughout Holroyd. Currently the Holroyd Council contractor removes tagging through a chemical removal and high-pressure water process, not by painting over the illegal site with colour match paint.

Sites that are included in this removal program are:

  • Council buildings
  • Toilet blocks
  • Footpaths
  • Roadways
  • Road signage and bus shelters

You can help prevent graffiti vandalism on private property.

  • Remove any graffiti vandalism from your premise within 24-48 hours
  • Paint over the graffiti vandalism
  • Report any graffiti vandalism to the Police Assistance Line (PAL) on 131 444 or to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at NSW Police
    .

For more information on graffiti, visit Graffiti

Malicious Damage and Break-ins

Lighting is a good deterrent for this type of crime. It is recommended that lights be left on inside and outside the premise.

If the windows are damaged, contact your insurance company for a reputable glazier. Do not be bullied by the first glazier company that arrives at your door step.

  • Install an intruder alarm.
  • Install internal and external video surveillance.
  • Have suitable locking an all doors, windows and gate entries.

For more information about how to keep your business safe, visit:

Robbery

A robbery is taking something with force or with a threat of violence. It can include using a weapon or firearm. A robbery can be prevented by upgrading security, and increasing lighting and surveillance.

  • Maintain clear visibility from outside the premise.
  • Remove clutter and increase clear lines of sight inside the business.
  • Place cashier in the most visible location.
  • Install or upgrade security devices.
  • Install high and wide counters to avoid contact with offenders.
  • Use automatic locking doors at night.
  • Use stickers and signs to promote security devices in the business.
  • Install duress alarms at the counters and in the cash register drawers.

During a robbery, your safety and the safety of those inside the business is more important than trying to stop the crime:

  • Do what the offender says.
  • Do not make eye contact.
  • Speak only when spoken to.
  • Do not activate alarm unless it is safe to do so.
  • Remember as much as you can about the offender/s and their behaviour.

After a robbery:

  • Activate the duress alarm if safe to do so.
  • Call ‘000’ and ask for the Police.
  • Close the business if possible.
  • Do not touch the surfaces that the offender had touched.

Shoplifting and Theft

One of the best ways of preventing this crime is to make the goods and stock difficult to steal.

  • Keep items of value in a place where it can be guarded by staff or by an alarm.
  • Be appropriately staffed at all times.
  • Make customers aware of any observation devices such as mirrors, to discourage thieves.
  • Always report those caught stealing to police.
Back to top