GUIDELINES FOR PREVENTING LOSSES AND REDUCING OPPORTUNITY FOR CRIMINAL ACTS
It is important that all Tenants realize that they, alone, are responsible for their own security. To minimize incidents that may result from internal and/or external causes, it is important that you establish and periodically review policies, procedures, rules and regulations as a means of preventing losses and identifying wrongdoing. All employees must understand the importance of their part in helping to ensure a more safe and secure working environment. With these thoughts in mind, for you and your employees, we offer the attached guidelines for reducing the criminal’s opportunity of selecting your business or employee as a victim.
LOSS PREVENTION GUIDELINES FOR TENANTS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES
- Check doors for proper working of locking mechanisms.
- All keys, including an access fob for access, should be issued on a need basis. Employees should sign for keys as a control measure and be instructed never to loan their key to another employee for any reason. Assign a person to be responsible for key control issuing (and recovery from a terminating employee) of keys and Datawatch fob for after-hours building or suite access. If an access fob was issued to a terminated employee, report to the respective access control company or management office for cancellation of that employee’s fob number. If suite door key is lost or stolen, you may wish to replace the lock cylinder. Please report all lost or stolen keys and access fobs immediately.
- When entering the building or your individual suite before or after hours, do not allow anyone to enter behind you without using his own security fob.
- Restrict the number of persons regularly admitted to the building by the “special admit” procedure. Visitor special admit authorization should extend only as long as necessary.
- Receptionists are the first-line of control to recognize a potential intruder. Therefore, it is important that they be responsible and properly trained. Reception desks should never be left unattended while your office door is open for entry.
- Visitors, guests and applicants for employment should not be allowed beyond the reception desk without an escort. If the situation warrants, require I.D. tags for employees and visitors in your leased space. Arrange in advance with the respective access control company for after-hours visitors to the building, and give their names and expected times of arrival. Advise visitors of the correct procedure for building entry during these hours. Employees and visitors must be instructed that, when entering the building by use of access fob or access entry phone, not to admit unauthorized entry to other persons. Authorized persons should understand they must on each occasion follow the proper entry procedure in order to maintain the integrity and proper continuity of loss prevention procedures.
- Persons announcing a delivery, pick-up, repair or service of equipment should be identified and escorted on each occasion when responding to your suite. It may be advisable to appoint a person(s) as coordinator of these functions. If the repair or delivery person appears suspicious, obtain identification and phone his/her company for verification. As an added security measure, you may wish to institute a check-in or badge policy for all delivery and repair people.
- Never be fooled by a uniform. Demand identification. Uniforms are easily obtainable and are often used as a disguise.
- All members of the cleaning crew wear an apron and a badge. If you encounter anyone who claims to be with the cleaning crew and is not wearing an apron or badge, call the security desk immediately at (202) 439-3768.
- Immediately report any suspicious persons or activities to the local police. Also report persons loitering in a public corridor, elevator, garage, rest rooms, or stairway, unknown persons in your leased space, the tying of several doors to other spaces, etc. Do not attempt to detain these persons.
- Employees should report:
- Building address
- Floor
- Specific description of individual
- Clothing worn
- This may aid the police in locating a suspect being sought who has taken refuge inside your building immediately after committing a crime. It can also aid the police in apprehending a suspect whom they have earlier identified while investigating a crime reported in the vicinity.
- Do not accept bargains for sale by strangers. The merchandise may be stolen. Immediately notify the management office or the front desk when there are solicitors in the building, as this is in violation of building rules and regulations.
- All business equipment of value on the premises, whether large or small in size,should be registered in a master file by serial number or marked permanently in some identifiable fashion in the event of theft. Employees who use personal equipment for business should also personally mark or record serial numbers in the event items are stolen. With accurate description and identification, the police will be able to enter this information in the National Criminal Information Center Computer, accessible by all U.S. law enforcement agencies. In the event items are found or recovered in the course of any police investigation, they can be confiscated and returned to the legal owner.
- Employees should keep purses and small, yet easily concealed items of value under lock when not in their immediate control. Do not leave office equipment (calculators, recorders, laptops, etc.) visible on desks and tables in unoccupied offices. Also, it is important not to place purses under desks, on floors of restaurants, or on the restroom floor when using a stall in the restroom. Employees should be cautioned against hanging coats containing wallets or their valuables on doors of unattended restroom stalls. Employees should be especially alert on elevators, bus stops or public transportation facilities to pickpockets. Employees should be informed that a door routinely kept locked should be tested on each occasion to be certain it has latched closed and locked. This is also important for the safety of fellow employees using toilet facilities in public corridors.
- Never leave a rear or side entry door to your suite propped open. Immediately close any door you encounter which has been propped open and report this security violation to your office manager.
- Doors to street, corridors or exits must be kept latched at all times. This is a fire protection requirement and also helps maintain the integrity of the preventive precaution measures designed to restrict an intruder access to a certain limited area. Be conscious upon entering your suite prior to regular business hours (when a receptionist is not on duty) that your suite door handle is locked from outside and has latched securely when closed. This is also applicable for after-hours work and closing the office. If your office suite entrance door has a dead bolt lock, use it!
- Keep any unoccupied or seldom used offices locked.
- Never allow visitor traffic in storage areas. Do not make storage rooms easily accessible from the main business area.
- Keep desks, file cabinets, safes, etc. locked when not in use and especially in unoccupied offices. Never leave a combination safe on a day-lock position. Thieves will turn the dial back to zero if it is in a day-lock setting. Always spin the dial when locking the safe.
- Designate persons to be responsible for securing equipment and the office at close of business.
- When securing the office at the end of the business day, check to make sure unauthorized persons are not in the office area.
- Quietly leave if you are surprised by an unauthorized person in your suite. Call the police immediately.
- If credit cards are stolen, report immediately to the insuring company and to the police.
- In self-park garages, always remove keys from ignition, secure windows and lock doors. If key must be left with attendant, leave only required key.
- Avoid leaving valuable items in a parked vehicle, or at least keep such items out of sight locked in trunk.
- Avoid leaving registration card in a parked vehicle.
- Install smooth non-flared locking buttons on vehicle doors.
- Have your car keys in your hand when leaving the office so you may enter your vehicle quickly. As you approach your parked vehicle, be on the lookout for loiterers in the area. Stay clear of alleys, abutments, and other parked vehicles when walking to your car. Always look inside your vehicle before entering.
- Employees may wish to carry a small plastic police type whistle on a key ring when working, walking in a secluded area inside and outside the building, or while traveling at night.
- If you are the victim of a robbery, cooperate with the criminal by relinquishing your money. Your wallet can be replaced. Appeasing the thief with money may discourage him from physically harming you.
- You are law enforcement’s strongest ally in reducing crime, so be alert (and remove the opportunity for crime).
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