Lower Your Burglary Risk

Reducing the Risk of Burglaries 

SMBA compiled the following information from several public and private sources. We hope that business owners can reduce the risk of both attempted and actual burglaries with these resources.

Following are procedures that work or help:

Secure the site

  • Ensure an automatic close and locking of windows and doors.

  • Good, working lighting is a must.

  • Door frames must be sturdy.

  • Metal plates on wooden doors prevent drilling or sawing from gaining entrance.

  • Preferably, the door mortise latch and any other locking mechanism will engage at multiple points.

  • Deadbolts are the best type of lock and should have a 1" throw (engagement).

  • Windows that open should have difficult-to-reach locking mechanisms if the glass is broken.

  • Do not have ways to climb up to upper floor windows available—trim landscaping to minimize hiding places for an intruder to attempt a forced entry.

  • Replace any back or side doors that are not regular customer entrances from glass panels to solid doors. If you have glass doors, laminated glass is more difficult to break than tempered glass.

Secure the Money

  • Anchor any safes so that they cannot be removed.

  • Leave cash drawers open.

  • Use your bank depository daily, and do not keep more cash overnight than you can afford to lose.

Burglars have learned how to extract specific types of key cylinders. To prevent this, the cylinder surrounding the key port should have an "antispin ring." These can be identified on your lock if there is a ring extending beyond the cylinder's face. 

For an example, see the lock on Woodstock Lock and Key at 4411 SE Woodstock. An anti-spin ring costs about $59 installed. 

Add an Alarm

Alarm the property and train all employees on its proper use. 

An alarm does costs a monthly fee, and the City charges a $125 annual alarm fee. However, it is probably the most proactive defense and may be well worth the cost. 

Businesses may put alarm company stickers on glass doors/windows without actually being connected. While not recommended, it is a better deterrent than no alarm. A City alarm permit is required to be displayed if there is an active alarm.

  • Alarms typically come with one or more sirens. These may be inside or outside and usually "time out" after 5 minutes. 

  • Some systems have smoke or heat monitors to transmit a signal in case of fire.

  • Typical configurations allow for motion or sound detectors as another way to detect illegal entry.

  • Alarm pads usually have a panic button for police or fire. These do not require a call to the business and could be helpful in some situations.

  • An alarm system with a battery backup is ideal, so sirens sound even if wires are cut. The signal wires are typically the phone lines (or, in some cases, the cable lines). We recommend that these lines be run underground, within walls or in conduit, so they are hard or impossible to cut.

  • It is crucial to change the batteries as scheduled (typically every five years) and test the system annually.

  • Adding cameras is an additional option for security and is available at various cost and capability levels.

  • Some systems keep a log of who enters premises and when.

  • If you have an alarm system, it is important to provide access to a phone so that the call center can resolve an accidental triggering. Post the number of the call center in an accessible area and call immediately after the accidental triggering. The call center must have several contact points to increase the probability they can notify you of an alarm.

For more information on business crime prevention, visit The City of Portland Community and Civic Life page.

ResourcesSellwood Moreland Business Alliance