security dilemmas


Therefore, until life returns to some semblance of pre-pandemic normality and trade picks up, these vacant retail units sit dormant and empty, abandoned and unwanted… and a magnet for all types of trouble.


Risks to vacant property


Security has never been more important than in quiet and deserted streets, especially at night and especially in city centres. Trouble comes in many forms: thieves, mindless vandals; anti-social behaviour of all types, from drug dealing to fighting; arson; and squatters – the list is long and varied.


Do you know the scrap value of some common metals? Take copper, for instance. Its current average value is somewhere in the region of £4 per kilo. You could get £2 for brass and £1 for lead. In fact, everything metal has a value. So what, you might say, but vacant property is likely to have quite a lot of the stuff in it, possibly all three metals in the shape of pipes, radiators, wiring and interior fixtures and fittings. It wouldn't take much to collect it into a nice little pile and toddle off to the nearest scrap dealer. Cushtie. A nice little earner, as a certain Mr Trotter might say.


With fewer people passing by anyway, no one is likely to take much notice of what they presume to be builders clearing out an empty shop unit, except they're probably not builders nor shopfitters. The mess that's left behind for the landlord or facilities manager to put right is a nightmare, especially in terms of inconvenience and cost. And don't forget, insurance on vacant property is notoriously lacking.


It normally only covers FLEA (Fire, Lightning, Explosion and Aircraft impact) unless you pay


an expensive premium to cover further risks. And that's just an example of one potential form of trouble.


The question is, how do you best secure your vacant retail shop or unit until it either gets re- let, or re-purposed?


CCTV overload


Many city buildings bristle with the latest in security technology and access control. For example, estimates suggest there is anything between half and three-quarters of a million CCTV cameras in London alone. But are the cameras on empty retail units with 'for sale' or 'to let' signs above them still working?


Were they operated by the landlord or his erstwhile tenants, and are they still monitored 24/7? It takes a mere minute for an opportunist vandal to push a firework or flammable substance through a letterbox, and junk mail on the mat goes up in flames, setting the rest of the premises on fire. Unfortunately, CCTV won't stop that unless security personnel can be on the spot in record time.


And the other problem these days is face masks. Eighteen months ago, anyone lurking in or around a property, especially a vacant one, with a mask on or their face half-covered, would immediately arouse suspicion. Nowadays, it's the complete reverse, and it has made the identification of thieves or troublemakers virtually impossible, no matter how good the CCTV images are.


Budget is another consideration while business and the British economy struggle to recover from the combination of Brexit and the pandemic. It's fine if the building is occupied by paying tenants, but an issue if it's vacant.


© CITY SECURITY MAGAZINE – AUTUMN 2021 www.citysecuritymagazine.com


Expert and tailored advice on how to secure a vacant building from break-ins or vandalism is what’s called for, without having to spend money unnecessarily. If the security solution is tailored to the individual premises after a comprehensive risk assessment by the right professional, the most appropriate protection can be put in place.


Deterrent is the key word here and affordability the pertinent point, with peace of mind the result. We are living and working in unusual and strange times when security has to be flexible and take account of new and different circumstances, and sometimes technology needs a helping hand with more traditional solutions.


Gideon Reichental Commercial Sales Manager


Clearway Services, and Chairman of the Vacant Property Protection Section of the British Security Industry Association.


www.clearway.co.uk


>


23


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36