Bullet Proof Security Systems, News, Information | Demand TSS

A little smarts and a bullet-proof barrier prevented a robbery at a Mobile Gas Station in Tamba Bay, Florida. After one robber unsuccessfully attempted to open the cash register of the convenience store, a second robber brought the clerk at gunpoint from the cooler to open it for them.

“Ahmad told the robbers they had to step away so he could close the door to the enclosure around the register or the drawer would not open. When they stepped outside, he shut the door and locked it, putting himself behind the bullet-proof glass, police said.”

Read “Police: Pair attempting robbery weren’t very smart” by Chip Osowski, http://www2.tbo.com.

Image taken from http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/feb/22/police-pair-attempting-robbery-werent-very-smart/.

In the Handbook of Glass in Construction by Joseph S. Amstock, it states, “Large storefront glass windows at street levels are one of the best ways retailers [ . . . ] have to showcase their merchandise or services. But these areas are increasingly at risk, particularly from ’smash and grab’ vandalism.” It goes on to state that nearly 70 percent of reported burglaries involved forced entry through windows or doors.

The Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association (MPCA) recently reported an increasing threat from “smash and grab” robberies for local convenience stores. The MPCA issued a list of security tips to help convenience stores prevent this type of robbery. To “help protect your employees and provide security for your property,” convenience stores should consider:

• installing “Bandit Barriers” to keep robbers from getting behind the register counter,
• good lighting (interior and exterior), and
• two clerks on duty at night.

Read additional tips on protecting your convenience store from “smash and grab robberies.”

Just as banks are a common target for robberies, convenience stores face the same challenge as a result of their late hours. Many convenience stores do not have the protection of bullet proof glass and most clerks are advised not to respond if a theft is underway.

“It happens all the time. It’s not something that happens once in a blue moon,” Ali Zaidi said of the trend in robberies at stores such as his.

Some convenience stores, however, are taking steps to safeguard their employees by installing bullet resistant barriers. The most commonly used barriers for convenience stores are horizontal or vertical sliders. Providing UL Level 1-3 security, these bulletproof barrier systems can be customized to provide different levels of security at different times of day.

Read “Too Often, Convenience Store Clerks in Danger” by Carl Lewis, www.macon.com.