How to reduce the risk of burglary at your premises

The Centre for Crime Prevention and Safety (CCV) says more than 40% of businesses are victims of burglary (in Dutch). How do you secure your business premises? First you should determine what the risks are and then you can take appropriate measures.

Determine your risk

The right security measures for your business depend on your situation. For example, it matters how many valuable items there are on your premises. Determine the burglary risk for your premises using the Dutch-language online risk assessment tool developed by the Dutch Association of Insurers. With this online tool, you can calculate the risk class your business falls into. You will also immediately see which security measures are appropriate.

The tool also includes a list of items that are attractive to criminals, such as mobile phones and designer clothing. The attractiveness and value of your belongings are important in determining your business's risk class.

Take measures

There are 4 risk classes. Businesses in class 1 have the lowest risk, businesses in class 4 have the highest. Each risk class has its own organisational, structural, and electronic security measures.

Before you start implementing security measures, contact your insurer. They may have additional requirements, for example when it comes to attractive items of high value.

Below are the most important security measures. What you need to do depends on your risk class.

Organisational measures

Organisational measures are perhaps the most important of all security measures. These include house rules, staff screening, and good management of keys. Security can only be effective if everyone sticks to the agreements.

Establish house rules

Establish house rules that answer questions such as:

• Who has access to your business and where are they allowed to go?
• What data is accessible to whom?
• Where and how is the data stored?
• Which items are difficult to replace and need to be stored separately, for example in a safe?

Screen your staff

Sometimes criminals get help from an insider. For example, an employee who passes on the alarm code to a burglar. Hire reliable staff. You can limit the risks by screening them. You can, for example, ask for references, search for information about your applicant on the internet, and ask for a certificate of conduct (VOG).

Good management of keys

Reduce the chance of a thief stealing a key. Do not leave keys in places where burglars would expect to find them. Register which employees have a key and have the employee sign for it. This way, you make staff jointly responsible for good key management. Work with certified keys. This means a key can only be duplicated with a pass or certificate. Make sure employees report the loss of a key.

Lock your business premises carefully. Check that all windows and doors are locked and activate the alarm system. Agree on who is responsible for opening and closing your premises.

Prevent access by climbing 

Tidy up your business premises and keep them organised. Make sure burglars cannot climb up and around your building. Opportunistic thieves often use ladders, crates, and rollable containers to gain access. Do not leave these items lying around. Also, regularly trim any plants and trees around your business premises. This will prevent burglars from entering unseen.

Hire a security company

Do your business premises fall into a high-risk category? You can hire a private security company. Such a company will help you with surveillance, monitoring, and contacting the police. If possible, work together with other businesses, for example for an industrial estate or shopping area. This will help you keep costs down.

Structural measures

• SKG-approved locks and hinges for windows and doors
• burglar-resistant roller shutters or grilles
• security lighting with motion sensors, for indoors and outdoors
• anti-ram bollards for the façade

In addition to organisational and structural measures, electronic measures may also be necessary. This depends on your risk class. With a burglar alarm system, access control system, or security camera, you can quickly detect burglars and alert the police.

Install a security camera

Did your camera capture the burglar on film? Then there is a greater chance that the police will be able to catch them. A camera outside your premises also has a preventive effect. A visible security camera deters criminals. They prefer to choose an easier target, without cameras, where they run less risk.

Install an alarm system

Install a good alarm system and change the access codes for arming and disarming it regularly. This prevents the code from being leaked, for example if the number of users increases or an employee leaves. Or opt for an alarm system with electronic keys instead of codes.

Connect the alarm system

Connect the alarm system to a private alarm centre. This is a control room that is active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The centre is notified when people come too close to your building. In the event of an attempted break-in, the control room will call you immediately.

Check if you need an environment and planning permit

You usually need an environment and planning permit to install an alarm on your business premises. This is especially true if the alarm system emits a loud sound or light signal. Check online in the Environment and Planning Portal Omgevingsloket (in Dutch) whether you need a permit. Hire a security company with the BORG quality mark for the installation. They are certified for reliability and quality.