ACT Policing are encouraging business owners to take proactive steps to ensure their businesses don’t become a target for thieves.
Officer in Charge of Community Safety, Detective Station Sergeant Mark Rowswell said police were particularly focused on businesses that had closed for extended periods due to COVID-19 and were liaising with business owners and patrolling premises around Canberra.
“Property crime is opportunistic in nature, and given many Canberra businesses are closed due to COVID-19, police believe there may be offenders looking to take advantage of closed premises,” Detective Station Sergeant Rowswell said.
“Police are working with business owners to help minimise the risk of break-ins, and there are many simple steps that can deter would-be thieves,” he said.
“If you have CCTV, a security alarm and security lighting, keep them on.”
Detective Station Sergeant Rowswell said businesses that didn’t have CCTV should consider whether it was time to install it.
“Speak with your neighbouring business to identify if cameras can be installed for a collective benefit,” he said.
“Businesses can also display clear warning signs – these can reference security features such as alarms and CCTV, or that no money or valuables are kept on site.”
He encouraged business owners to register or update their details with the ACT Keyholder Register, a list of the names and after-hours contact details of business owners or others who had access to a business’s premises.
Detective Station Sergeant Rowswell said the Register was stored on the Australian Federal Police’s confidential computer system, and only accessed if police needed to contact the business owner after hours.
