The Santa Monica Police Department’s Community Relations Unit works to develop innovative outreach strategies to promote public safety and awareness. One of the SMPD’s goal commitments this year is robbery suppression. Recently, officers interviewed a commercial robbery suspect to determine his “M.O.” (Modus Operandi), and how he determined which place to rob. The suspect would look for weaknesses in the business’s attention to security. The most common weaknesses noticed by the suspect were: 1) there was only one employee, usually a female, on the premises and, 2) there were no visible surveillance cameras (CCTV). The following is the Santa Monica Police Department’s advice for Commercial Robbery Prevention:

EVERY business owner, manager and employee plays a part in making businesses safe. Here are some things you can do to help PREVENT a robbery:

• Have at least two employees open and close the business.

• Do not release personal information to strangers.

• Keep purses and personal valuables locked in desks or lockers.

• Install a robbery alarm.

• Place a surveillance camera behind the cash register facing the front counter. Replace videotapes regularly and at varied times.

• Vary times and routes of travel for bank deposits. Do not use marked moneybags. Consider using armored car money couriers.

• Keep a low balance in the cash register. Place excess money in a safe, or deposit it as soon as possible. Drop all large bills right away. If a customer tries to pay with a large bill, politely ask if he or she has a smaller one. Explain that you keep very little cash on hand.

• Keep your business neat and clean. A tidy, orderly place of business is inviting to customers, but not to robbers. Dressing neatly also sends the right message.

• Stay alert! Know who is in your business and where they are. Watch for people who hang around without buying anything. Also, be aware of suspicious activity outside your place of business. Write down license numbers of suspicious vehicles if visible from the inside of your business.

• Be careful, most robbers are just as nervous as you are.

• Make sure the sales counter can be seen clearly. Don’t put up advertisements, flyers, displays, signs, posters or other items on windows or doors that might obstruct the view of the register from inside or outside your business. The police cruising by your store need to see in.

• Try to greet customers as they enter your business. Look them in the eye, and ask them if they need help. Your attention can discourage a robber.

• Keep your business well-lit, inside and outside. Employees should report any burned-out lights to the business owner or manager. Keep trees and bushes trimmed, so they don’t block any outdoor lights.

Be extra CAREFUL after dark:

• Be cautious when taking out the trash or cleaning the parking lot. Make sure another employee inside the business keeps you within eye contact while you are outside of your building.

• If you see something suspicious, call the police. Never try to handle it yourself. It could cost you your life.

• Use only one register at night. Leave other registers empty and open. Tilt the register drawer to show there is no money in it.

• Leave blinds and drapes partially open during closing hours.

• Make sure important signs stay posted. For example, the front door should bear signs that say, “Clerk Cannot Open the Time Lock Safe.”

What to do DURING a robbery

• If your business is robbed put your safety first. Your personal safety is more important than money or merchandise.

• Don’t talk except to answer the robber’s questions.

• Don’t stare directly at the robber.

• Prevent surprises, keep your hands in sight at all times.

• Don’t make any sudden moves.

• Cooperate with the robber for your own safety and the safety of others. Comply with the robber’s demands. Remain calm and think clearly. Make mental notes of the robber’s physical description and other observations important to law enforcement officers.

• Tell the robber if someone is coming out of the back room, a vault or working in another area of your business.

• Don’t chase or follow the robber out of your place of business. Try to see the direction that he flees.

• If you have a silent alarm and can reach it without being noticed, use it. Otherwise, wait until the robber leaves.

• Leave the job of catching the robber to the police.

AFTER the robbery:

• Lock your business.

• Ask any witnesses to stay until the police arrive.

• Call the police and remain on the line.

• Call your business owner, manager, or other designated person.

• Don’t touch anything the robber may have touched.

• Write down a description of the robber and the weapon as soon as you are able.

REMEMBER: Remain CALM & COOPERATE. Try to REMEMBER what the suspect looks like. If you can SEE a “get-away” vehicle WRITE down a description and license plate number. Call 9-1-1 as soon as it’s SAFE!

The Santa Monica Police Department offers free Security Surveys for all businesses. A representative from the Community Relations Office will meet with you and offer suggestions on how you can improve your physical security and operational procedures. Please call Community Relations, 310.458.8474, to make an appointment.