Memorial Day is our chance to honor the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service of our country. For some, that means reverent visits to the graves of their lost loved ones. For others, that means celebrating America’s freedoms and backyard barbecues with friends. But for criminals, Memorial Day means you’re going to be away from your business over the long weekend and that gives thieves a window of opportunity to break in and help themselves.
Commercial Property and Cargo theft on Memorial Day weekend is typically 52% higher than non-holiday weekends.
Cargo theft spikes over the Memorial Day weekend every year. Last year, Memorial Day theft added up to more than $19 million, with warehouses, distribution centers and parking lots being the most targeted locations for theft.
Between 2019 and 2020, the rate of theft increased by 35% for the Memorial Day weekend, and theft of computer equipment shipments from California increased 443% between September 2020 and May 2021.
So why do thieves celebrate Memorial Day with such enthusiasm in their own nefarious way? Two main reasons: industrial sites are typically unstaffed over the long weekend, and the rate of shipping desirable goods like catalytic converters, computer equipment, and household goods increases over holiday weekends like Memorial Day.
Keep Your Profits Out of Thieves’ Hands With These Six Tips:
When you know criminals are gearing up for a profitable Memorial Day weekend, you can step up your perimeter security game to keep them off your property and out of your hard-earned profits.
Check Your Alarm System
Start your Memorial Day security planning by checking to see that your current perimeter security system is working properly. That means making sure alarms blare when tripped, security lighting comes on as expected, and video cameras are recording clearly and with accurate timestamps.
Check Your Fence
Make sure there are no holes, gaps, or weak spots in your fence that would make it easy to scale or move. Also, look for shrubbery that creates hiding spaces near your fence that could give thieves a hiding place to enter your property without being seen.
Amp Up Your Security With an Electric Fence
Nothing stops intruders like a medically safe but painfully memorable shock from an electrified fence, like AMAROK’s Electric Guard Dog™ Fence. With its powerful and intimidating barrier and multiple forms of defense on your side, our full-perimeter solar electric fence delivers peace of mind to you and a rude awakening to would-be thieves.
Install a Video Surveillance System if You Don’t Already Have One
With the average loss from Memorial Day cargo theft reaching a whopping $308,308, installing a video surveillance system that both deters theft is only a tiny fraction of the cost you’ll incur if your business experiences a theft over Memorial Day weekend.
Take Your Keys
An average of 209 vehicles are stolen every day in the United States simply because the keys were left inside. Take all the keys for your company cars, trucks, forklifts, and other equipment home with you over the long weekend. Without keys, it’s tremendously more difficult to steal a vehicle. However, many pieces of large equipment come with generic keys that can be purchased easily online by thieves. To combat this, remove the batteries from the equipment on your property to be extra safe.
Check Your Lights
Always-on security lighting cheats thieves of one of their most valuable assets: the cover of darkness. Check to make sure all your security lighting is working properly, change out any malfunctioning bulbs, and consider upgrading to a brighter lighting system. Also, make sure that trees, shrubs, or buildings are not casting shadows where thieves can hide. If you find any shady spots, consider adding additional light fixtures there, especially around gates, windows, and doors.
Uncertain if Your Security Measures are Enough to Battle Memorial Day?
AMAROK’s security experts would be happy to give you an unbiased and free assessment of your security system, so you can protect yourself before disaster strikes. Click here to get your personalized Threat Assessment today.P
