25 tips for shopkeepers against riots and looting

Last week, the Netherlands was rocked by riots, arson and looting in various city centres. Windows were shattered, cars were set on fire and shops were looted. If you have a shop or business in a city centre, you may be worried. You cannot prevent the riots, but you can take the necessary measures to limit the damage. In this article, we will give you no less than 25 valuable tips, some of which are still easy to implement today. Although the violence that accompanied the riots is very unusual for the Netherlands, we already know it from some other European countries and the United States. Exactly how it could go so wrong remains to be seen in the near future. The investigations and detection of perpetrators are still in full swing. By the way, there is a big difference between ordinary protesters and rioters. The assault on the police, the attacks, looting and destruction of last week have little to do with demonstrations and are mainly the work of rioters. Some of them are followers who are sucked in and incited. Other rioters do plan to riot and destroy. Because of the sensation, a failed upbringing, or because they’re angry and want to make their point. There are even youngsters for whom it is like a computer game, where other players decide what is going to happen and they can earn points. On social media, these young people report live on the riots and looting. Researchers call this ‘gamification’. Looters – unlike rioters – are focused on self-interest and monetary gain. There are rioters who loot, but there is also a group of organized looters who work methodically and in groups. They determine in advance which stores are the most profitable and they share information about these target stores with others. In the United States, we see examples of organized looters who close streets with their cars so that they can go about their business more or less quietly. Or they (themselves) guard a shop/building against other looters, while their own gang members strike at the vault inside. We also see that these types of gangs use large-scale (peaceful) protests as a cover to strike, that they use social media to mislead the police or flood the emergency number with (false) reports of looting in areas other than where they themselves are active. Rioters, looters, arsonists or thieves… Whatever they are, whatever we call them, they can do some serious damage. A nightmare for those who it happens to.

Take away the loot and make it more difficult for them

You can’t prevent riots or looting. However, you can take measures to (considerably) limit the damage if rioters or looters are active in your area. You can protect your shop from the rioter and remove the loot expectation (attractive goods) to deter looters. In addition, you can take measures that make it more difficult for the riot shopper and looter. In part, these are the same measures that you can take or perhaps have already taken, against vandalism or against burglaries. Of the many possible measures, we give you our top 25 below. Measures that take away the spoils and make it more difficult for them

1. Empty your building or shop (and shop window) so that looters think there is nothing to get (loot). It is important that they can see at a glance from the outside that the store / building is empty. If you have a store, communicate (aimed at your customers) that there are no more products in the store during the store closure and refer to the webshop. Do this, for example, on the shop window, with pamphlets in the shop window or on social media. For each situation, it can be considered to leave the lights on at night so that it is clear that the store is empty.
2. Store the valuables/items you are removing safely in a burglar-proof compartment, a safe or in an external location.
3. Remove all items that can be used as projectiles. Inside and outside. Think of garbage cans, flower boxes, bicycle racks, patio furniture and billboards. But also flammable substances and small extinguishers (the latter only as long as the store is not in use).
4. To protect against rioters, shop windows and windows can be closed with wooden screens. Also consult with the other shops/businesses in the street to do this. Incidentally, this remedy is only effective to a limited extent in the case of targeted looting. Through the screens, looters can’t see that the store is empty, and well-prepared looters will get through anyway. Secure the wooden screens with screws that are not so easy to unscrew. Some looters are well prepared with a screwdriver…
5. It is best not to lock (unsecured) interior doors, as this will prevent further damage.
6. Follow social media to find out if and when your city, street or building is mentioned as a target. The messages on social media can also be used to identify possible perpetrators.
7. Have employees refrain from commenting on social media about the looting at your premises.

More drastic, structural precautions

8. Place the most precious goods and equipment in certified burglar-proof storage rooms and safes. Looters usually don’t have the knowledge and experience to get into these types of spaces/vaults.
9. Install metal rolling grilles or steel-reinforced doors to slow down access to the property.
10. Install burglar-resistant riot security glazing in the windows of your shop. Make sure you choose glazing with demonstrable protection against looters. Vandal-resistant glazing or security foils are insufficiently resistant to the violence of looters. However, you should be aware that the safety glazing may be damaged by the force used.
11. Make sure that shop window areas are separated from the store by a barrier from walls or shutters, so that looters are not directly in your store if a broken window is broken. In that case, you will probably also need to install an extra door/roller shutter in the barrier behind the front door.
12. In certain situations, a temporary barrier can be made of barrels that you fill with water. The drums then have a double function: barrier that is difficult to move and automatic fire extinguishing.
13. Consider an automatic fire suppression system, to limit the damage of arson.

Plans and appointments you can make in advance

14. As a retail chain or as a street, make sure you have a crisis team that is easily accessible to shop/location managers and local entrepreneurs.
15. Form a small team that takes care of the first salvage after damage, so that the damage is limited and the building is closed again. For example:
    • Cleaners, security guards, repairers of glass and shutters and carpenters who can repair doors and hinges and locks.
    • Employees (of security affairs) who can secure camera images and who can make an inventory of the damage and report it to the insurer.
16. Provide a (local) call list with, among other things, telephone numbers of the area agent, surrounding businesses/shops and any residents of houses above or next to it.
17. In consultation with your Private Alarm Centre (PAC), draw up an adapted instruction for the alarm follow-up in the event of riots and looting: only go on site if it is safe to do so. Whether it is safe enough can be assessed by (remote) viewing the camera images or by consulting someone who is on site (e.g. from the call list).
18. In the event of prolonged unrest, have the damage assessed at a fixed time every day.

Other recommendations

19. Install (clearly visible) security cameras. With security cameras and a cloud storage, you may be able to gather evidence of the riots and looting. The CCTV footage also helps track down and prosecute the looters.
20. Anti-theft labels that tarnish or destroy products when removed are (limited) effective. If you’re selling clothes, make sure they can’t easily take them in large quantities. For example, hang hangers alternately or secure them with a steel wire or chain.
21. Make sure that as many valuable assets as possible in the building are marked as belonging to your store. This makes reselling the items more difficult. A digital signage screen executed in your corporate identity colors is unattractive to resell.
22. Keep a backup of your data and the customer files outside the premises.
23. Delete all personnel files from the premises. These often contain confidential and privacy-sensitive data that can be used to steal someone’s identity or commit fraud.
24. Never, ever allow your employees to stay in the store when looting is going on or in the pipeline. In that case, do not go to your store yourself, but stay safe at home.
25. In the event of a threat, consider whether it makes sense to increase your insurance coverage instead of investing in additional security.

Finally, measures are always tailor-made

If your shop or building is at risk of being attacked by looters, consider carefully what measures you take. The measures mentioned above are general and some of them may not be suitable at all or far too costly for you. Consider in advance which group of offenders you are dealing with and what the attractiveness of/in your building or shop is. Only then can you decide which measures apply to you. And then you can distinguish between simple measures that cost little or nothing and measures that are more drastic. The latter usually require a larger (but sustainable) investment. Especially for the latter type of measures, expert advice is necessary. Our experts will be happy to help you. Contact Jan Schumer today, via jan.schumer@mactwin.nl or by phone (026) 479 22 27.