Ram raids may sound like something that rarely happens, but this criminal activity seems to be reported in the news increasingly often, with businesses suffering extensive damage.
While the government doesn’t track ram raids as their own category of commercial crime, the latest statistics from the Home Office reveal that burglary is the second most common crime committed against businesses in England and Wales after direct theft.
Like most burglaries, ram raiding typically occurs after hours, when premises are likely to be empty of customers and staff, but even 24/7 security guards can’t prevent such determined and aggressive criminals without risking injury.
That’s not to say there is nothing that can be done to stop ram raiders – there are several options when it comes to anti-ram raid barriers, which can help to deter these attacks.
Here’s what you should know about anti-ram barriers and how they could help to protect your business premises, staff, and stock.
What are anti-ram vehicle barriers?
‘Ram raiding’ is the term used to describe the act of criminals using a vehicle to ram into a storefront or other premises to gain entry quickly. The criminals will then trespass inside and raid the premises, vandalising and stealing whatever they can grab before making an equally quick getaway.
The carelessly forceful nature of this criminal act can cause serious damage to the building and interior, which can be costly to fix before even considering the losses from stolen property and downtime during repairs.
Why leave your business open to such violent criminal activity when you could protect your access points with an anti-ram vehicle barrier?
An anti-ram gate acts in a similar manner to the drop arms you might see at the entrance to parking garages, except much stronger and more secure. It can be locked in place to prevent vehicles from ramming directly into the premises, reducing the physical impact.
With a higher risk of severe damage to the vehicle and a lower chance of gaining entry, installing an anti-ram barrier could visually deter would-be ram raiders from seeing your business as a target.
How can anti-ram raid barriers help?
The most recent annual Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS) found that 45% of victims reported financial loss as a result of commercial crime, while 32% experienced theft of goods and services.
Aside from these direct impacts, 33% of businesses also needed additional staff time to deal with crimes and their impact, while 13% experienced damage to their reputations.
After all, why would customers want to visit a business that’s vulnerable to violent criminal attacks?
Additionally, if your business is closed for a while for damage assessment and repairs, even regular customers are likely to lose interest and find an alternative place to shop.
The resulting financial impact was moderate for the majority of crime victims in the survey, but for 4% of businesses, the impact was severe enough to consider permanently closing their premises.
Ram raiding is likely to have a more significant financial impact because large vehicles are often used, causing far more damage to the property in addition to the loss of stolen goods. Ram raiders also tend to target larger premises with more valuable items to steal, such as city centre shops and warehouses in industrial areas.
The CVS report found that wholesale and retail premises were the most common targets for commercial crime, followed by transport, accommodation, and food – and that businesses with premises more accessible to the public were more likely to be victims.
Some businesses surveyed also reported that they installed crime prevention measures after previously experiencing a crime, with 15% installing alarms or having staff monitor the premises – but only 11% installing gates.
Why wait until after your premises have been targeted by ram raiders to take steps to protect your business against this type of burglary?
Stay a step ahead and give yourself more peace of mind by installing anti-ram barriers to protect vulnerable areas against ram raiding vehicles.
Order bespoke anti-ram barriers
Make potential ram raiders think twice about targeting your property by fitting a steel anti-ram barrier from Roller Shutter Services.
Made from durable steel box sections, our anti-ram raid barriers can be manufactured to your specifications to meet the requirements of your site.
Not only can these strong steel bars fit across any opening without obstructing operations during the day, but they can also be powder coated in a standardised colour – matching your business colours and/or making sure the barrier is visually obvious.
Anti-ram barriers work best in conjunction with other security measures, including locks, alarms, lights, and CCTV cameras. While 66% of businesses in the CVS report had locks on windows or doors, only 33% had shutters on windows or doors.
As suppliers of various types of security shutters, you can also come to Roller Shutter Services for bespoke shutters, which can be fitted to your specifications along with your anti-ram gate.
To learn more about our anti-ram raid barrier systems and how they work, call our team on 0800 328 9356 or send an email to info@rollershutterservices.co.uk and we’ll get back to you.