AN INCREASE in commercial burglaries has sparked security advice from Dorset Police. 

The advice has been re-issued by Debbie Oldfield, crime prevention and design advisor at the force. 

She said: "Most thieves will choose premises with no obvious signs of security or will choose premises where they feel they won’t be seen or disturbed whilst breaking in.

"If they succeed in gaining access, this will often act as motivation to try again especially if they see that no improvements have been made to the security.

"To reduce the chances of you becoming a victim of burglary take some time and look at your building and think 'if I was a burglar what would appeal to me about my business and how would I break in'.

"If your premises look insecure to you then it will to a burglar." 

An alarm is a big deterrent for most burglars as they do not want to be seen or heard. Police advise owners to install one from a professional alarm installer who is NSI or SSAIB registered.

If you do have an alarm ensure that it is working correctly and that all the sensors are in the right places. 

Ensure you have strong front and rear doors and windows and consider fitting bars on the internal side of the door so in the event of the glass being broken entry cannot be easily gained. 

Try to avoid keeping large amounts of money on the premises. If you have a cash till on your premises leave it empty and open so if anyone looks in the window they can see the till is empty. 

Consider putting signs up in your windows stating 'no cash is left on the premises overnight'.

If you have or are thinking of getting a safe make sure it is firmly fixed to a concrete floor or brick wall and hide it as much as possible.

Depending on what your business is you may wish to consider installing either smoke cloak or fog bandit.

They aim to stop burglars in their tracks by filling your shop with a thick artificial fog. They do, however, need to be attached to your alarm system. The fog can also be deployed in the event of an armed robbery.

Although CCTV can be a valuable deterrent and detection tool it must be fitted correctly and have the right lighting or infrared facility or it is not fit for purpose. 

If you are considering installing an alarm or CCTV or you would like a security review done of your business or you just have a question about your business security, email debbie.oldfield@dorset.pnn.police.uk