The Halloween festivities are soon up, and with them, an eruption of joy, laughter and good old frights accompanied with much deserves candy.
With that, it’s easy to get overtaken with festive spirit and indulge in the moment. However, various vandals and criminals adore days like Halloween because security is usually the last thing on most people’s minds.
During Halloween, crime tends to experience a significant spike in Ireland.
“Every year, we experience a notable increase of 15-20% in alarm response calls to our Communications Centre leading up to Halloween night. During this period, vandals often target items which are easily set on fire, such as: pallets, car tires and other flammable material. Therefore, it's important to ensure proper housekeeping of your assets, so that your business and our community stays safe during Halloween. Prevention is always better than cost.” Louise Bagnall, Protective Services Branch Manager, Securitas Ireland
In this blog, we shall relay our TOP 5 tips for keeping your business safe.
Pallets Piled High Burn Bright
During Halloween, a common misdemeanor offence is when individuals enter business premises and try to steal pallets. These pallets are in turn used to set up a local bonfire. Apart from a direct loss of assets which can impact the operational aspect of your business, there is a higher potential for risk.
Local bonfires can quickly grow out of proportion and start affecting large swathes of areas. During Halloween, the fire department is usually busy during those hours, therefore, getting to your business in time could potentially be unfeasible.
Depending on the type of your business, it is important to take the necessary safeguards to protect your business. Ensure that all your pallets and any wooden/inflammable material is safely stored away, so that potential interlopers wouldn’t feel tempted to enter your premises.
Businesses which are particularly at risk are Warehouses, Logistics and SME’s.
Risk Probability: 5/5
Risk Impact: 3/5
Fiery fireworks fill the sky.
Although illegal by Irish Law, fireworks are still beloved by people across Ireland, and sometimes, no law is enough to stop people to marvel at the stunning sights of light playing out in the night sky during Halloween. However, it should be noted that some purchases of fireworks can come from questionable sources.
Just recently, in September 2023, Gardai have made a “cracking good seizure” of fireworks in Co Tipperary. It should also be noted that as of 17th of September 2023, 38 fireworks incidents have been recorded by Garda Siochana. Needless to say, it is expected for this number to get higher as we near Halloween.
The risk for your business comes with unexpected fires. During Halloween, fireworks will be flying left, right and centre. The question you need to ask yourself is what happens if one of them hits my premises? Do you have any flammable liquid that could easily go up in flames and damage your business? Once again prevention is better than the cure.
This means that you should store and remove any flammable material or liquid on your premises that could easily come in contact with faulty fireworks which could end up setting off a huge fire.
Businesses which are particularly at risk are Warehouses, Biotech & Pharma and SME’s.
Risk Pobability: 3/5
Risk Impact: 5/5
Vandals will Vandalize
Break-ins a common occurrence in Ireland anytime of the year. However, during the Halloween season, break-ins usually experience an increase. Just last year, stunningly violent scenes were recorded in Limerick, which was described as the “worst sort of vandalism” by a local Fine Gael councillor, Adam Teskey.
Most people who resort to break-ins are not doing it for a specific reason, however, they can still cause disruptions and damage to your business.
If you are interested in a cost-effective, flexible protection for your business, Securitas mobile patrol is a great solution to your business. Our service allows for flexibility regarding internal and/or external patrols of your business. This allows you to have the much-needed peace of mind during Halloween.
If you are interested in our Mobile Patrol Service, feel to contact us at 0818 365 724, or fill the form on our contact page.
Needless, to mention, in case of break-ins or random acts of vandalism, our mobile patrol officers will be on standby to deter, report and engage appropriately.
Businesses which are particularly at risk are SME’s, Retail & Education
Risk Probability: 4/5
Risk Impact: 2/5
Brazen Break-ins are Bound to Happen
During the Halloween season, another frequent activity are break-ins with a criminal and malicious intent. For years now, business owners have been urged to secure their business premises in the run-up to Halloween. Needless to say, during the Halloween season, break-ins tend to soar in numbers.
Having a mobile patrol officer during this time can make the difference between having your business ransacked or stopping the intruder in their tracks and making them think twice about entering a restricted private property.
Our Reliable Mobile Patrol Service provides a complete cost-effective security solution, ensuring stability and continuity of your business, which is paramount in your business thinking during these challenging economic times.
Feel free to read more about our Mobile Patrol Services: https://www.securitas.ie/services/mobile-security/
Businesses which are particularly at risk are SME’s, Retail & Commercial Offices.
Risk Probability: 2/5
Risk Impact: 4/5
Assess your Security Capabilities
In today’s world, threats to your business can come from any direction. Reading and educating yourself is definitely one way to get a leg up on all the things that has a potential to go awry in connection to your business.
Did you know that Securitas can come to your site and offer a comprehensive risk assessment of your site. Our security specialists will come to your side and give you a tailor-made security plan which is bound to safeguard your business from threats.
Our Mobile Patrol Service offers 24/7 Security & Support:
- Mobile vehicle patrol: PSA licensed, uniformed officers in marked vehicles
- Alarm response: including CCTV intruder detection, fire and lone worker devices
- Lone worker escort: mobile guarding, on site and emergency call-out
- Keyholding: hold and store your keys securely
- Locking/unlocking premises: to a regular schedule or on demand
- Vacant property inspections: including internal walk-throughs, meter reading and reporting
As one of the industry leaders, we have been delivering security solutions in Ireland for over 23 years. Our clients value us for our commitment to service and the quality of work we deliver.
If you are interested in securing your business for the Halloween, feel free to fill out the form or give us a call at 0818 365 724.
Conclusion: Halloween can be a great time to break some of the monotony of our everyday life when we are required to fill in the role of a mature, responsible individual. Make sure you make the necessary security arrangements this year to ensure you and your family can have a carefree Halloween.
