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As we approach the festive season, many of us are starting to gear up for what that brings with it. For domestic properties, that could be setting up Christmas decorations, planning for a holy feast, or making plans with friends and family. For businesses, however, there’s a lot more to consider outside of the usual decorations and festivities.
Security services over the Christmas period are an absolutely crucial consideration, whether you’re:
In our seasonal report, we’re looking at why Christmas security services are essential, what you can do to get the right coverage, and how a good security package fits seamlessly around your planned (and unplanned) closures.
The festive period means that many properties are left unoccupied, and criminals often view this as the ideal time to strike. Expensive items and routine deliveries also mean that there are unexpected security vulnerabilities, and existing security measures (such as intruder alarms) can be quickly overwhelmed if not reinforced with manned security options or temporary solutions.
When that’s combined with inclement weather, longer nights, and a greater danger of trespassing and illegal squatting, it’s a recipe for disaster. Criminals will often use the cover of darkness to be able to remain undetected for longer periods, and to effectively determine your premises’ schedule, and when your buildings are likely to be unoccupied.
Statistics have historically pointed towards a marked rise in trespassing, vandalism and theft over the Christmas period, and vacant properties (like paused construction works, empty offices, or distribution centres) take the brunt of those. This can be difficult to pinpoint, too – the emergency services over the festive season are so often stretched thin, meaning that police responses won’t necessarily be as timely as we’d like.
While policing initiatives like this from the Home Office have proven massively effective in reducing crime in town centres that face a shoplifting epidemic, they aren’t broad enough in scope to cover vulnerable sites that aren’t in built-up areas. Construction projects, for example, often aren’t captured in that protection.
There’s also the very real risk of costly liabilities and Health and Safety breaches. For a vacant property, building project, or logistics facility, where there can be the presence of dangerous structures, equipment or machinery, the building owner is still liable for any injuries sustained while the premises is closed if the right mitigation isn’t in place.
That includes any trespassers or intruders – even those you were unaware of. The Occupier’s Liability Act means that, if you’ve not got the right countermeasures in place to deter trespassing, any injuries sustained are your responsibility. This can quickly increase insurance premiums, lead to legal issues, and ultimately have devastating financial consequences.
We would advise looking at manned security guarding as a strong way to keep your property protected over Christmas. Trained and licensed security professionals can conduct routine patrols, monitor your site perimeter, and act as a deterrent to any opportunistic criminals or trespassers. They can also create reports so that, even when your site is unoccupied, you’re in full control of what’s happening.
Manned security also comes with the benefit of conducting any additional services that need to happen during those periods of vacancy. We’ve delivered exactly that in the past for our client at CAF, where our energy-saving initiatives have meant they’ve not only protected their site, but they’ve managed to slash energy costs by thousands of pounds.
That comes alongside a more comprehensive list of duties that are applicable when your site is back operational, including:
If you’d prefer to opt for more autonomous solutions, or can’t have a human presence on site over the festive period, you might choose to invest in temporary security services. This usually takes the form of CCTV towers, but can also be remotely monitored, visually-verified intruder alarms called VPODs.
These can then be remotely monitored by a control centre (at ProFM Group, this is our National Operations Centre), and an officer can be deployed immediately as soon as a threat is detected or there are signs of crime that could be happening in the area (police reports, intelligence monitoring, or unusual amounts of foot traffic).
Regardless of the approach you take, the right step is to get in touch with a trusted security provider and do your due diligence in finding a solution that works for you.
Our tailored approach to security over Christmas is what truly sets us apart. While time is ticking and Christmas is fast approaching, we’ll make the time to conduct a detailed site assessment to see what your current risk profile looks like, what solutions would work for your premises, and how we can help.
That’s part and parcel of being a reactive, intelligence-led security company, and delivering 20,000+ hours of manned security every week over the festive season. We receive dozens of enquiries – both last-minute and well in advance of the seasonal shutdown – and we’re always able to adapt.
Our officers are available 24 hours a day, every single day (including public holidays like Christmas Day, Boxing Day and the New Year period), and always with that same professionalism you’d expect from a leading security provider.
Get in touch today to discuss your Christmas security requirements and how we’re able to deliver a solution that’s as robust and comprehensive as possible, and that’s designed for peace of mind over the festive season.
CCTV & Electronic Systems
Emily is responsible for business growth and account development via new sales. She leads the Business Development teams through strategic goals and objectives in line with business targets and strategy. Emily is a friendly, approachable and a respected senior manager at ProFM Group who always strives to deliver service excellence.
