Burglary, murder, break-ins—all crimes have costs for enterprises, victims and society.
According to the FBI's annual report Crime in the United States,
- In 2017, there were an estimated 1,247,321 violent crimes. The estimated number of robbery offenses decreased 4.0 percent, and the estimated number of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses decreased 0.7 percent when compared with estimates from 2016. The estimated volume of aggravated assault and rape (revised definition) offenses increased 1.0 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively.
- Nationwide, there were an estimated 7,694,086 property crimes. The estimated numbers for two of the three property crimes showed declines when compared with the previous year’s estimates. Burglaries dropped 7.6 percent, larceny-thefts decreased 2.2 percent, but motor vehicle thefts rose 0.8 percent.
- Collectively, victims of property crimes (excluding arson) suffered losses estimated at $15.3 billion in 2017.
- Of the property crime offenses, the arrest rate for burglary was 61.7 per 100,000 inhabitants; larceny-theft, 296.0; and motor vehicle theft, 28.2. The arrest rate for arson was 2.8 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Break-ins happen every day. For example, two men cut their way through a roof into a Target department store in Smithfield, R.I., in October 2017, pried open an ATM inside the store and stole more than $14,000, then cut through a wall into a CVS Pharmacy located inside the store, broke open a locked cabinet holding controlled substances and stole a prescription package of Oxycodone. The two men then fled to the roof of the store.
Security and safety issues can end the viability of a company. The costs of fines, direct expenses and any resulting lawsuits can often be too much when a company has a security incident due to a break-in. Burglars often enter a facility with the intent to steal merchandise and goods, but sometimes, employees will become hurt or injured in the process. In addition, productivity can be lost when other workers and managers have to stop doing their job to deal with the situation.
There is a lot at risk when a company fails to implement a successful and thorough security system, and some companies will never recover from the blow. Companies that take the time and use company resources to make sure that the people who come to work each day are safe are the ones who will continue to turn a profit. In addition, when employees feel safe in the workplace and absenteeism rates are kept down, they can focus on serving the company's customers properly. The right security door hardware products can help to mitigate the risk of a break-in, which can also help to increase your company's bottom line.
