How to protect your stores’ weakest points from forced-entry, riots, looting, natural disasters, and more

As the cannabis industry continues to grow, so do the challenges for cannabis retailers. Safety and security are major components of any cannabis venture. Ultimately, protecting your property from theft and damage affords you a greater profit margin.

Whereas the cannabis industry may prefer to spread peace and love, we are in fact, living in a time of rising violence and strife. Hence, the need for weed. With this said, awareness and action are paramount. Cannabis retailers need to know how to best secure their investment, and then act on that knowledge.

Protecting People and Property is Paramount

A recent storefront security survey sponsored by NGS revealed that break-ins and smash and grabs are on the rise across the country, particularly in larger cities. A staggering 83 percent of retailers experience break-ins or break-in attempts every year. Worse yet, most retailers do not believe first responders such as security guards or law enforcement arrive quickly enough to reduce loss.

These statistics are particularly relevant to cannabis retailers who may have numerous locations in those cities, and because of their product – are more at risk for break-ins.

The greatest challenge may be defending your store when you aren’t there. But it isn’t the only concern. Smash and grabs are a grave danger as they occur when stores are open to the public and staffed with vulnerable employees.

An important conclusion regarding smash and grabs is that they happen within store hours, thus increasing the chance of harm to life. Therefore, hardening glass windows and doors is an impactful choice for cannabis retailers to implement. You can protect both your product and lives. Shards of flying glass can wreak havoc on employees and customers alike. An increase in insurance premiums is sure to follow. Having the glass remain in place, instead of causing further damage, is imperative for premier safety and overall security.

Strengthen Storefront Security

There are multiple options of security window films and systems that can meet various needs for your storefronts. From privacy to bullet proof, selecting the right glazing security system for your location results from knowing what is available.

NGS offers a tiered system of available security film options:

Tier 1 – Safety and Security Window Film

3M™ Ultra 800 Window Film is the first tier in our layered security system. With the use of premier tear-resistance technology and multilayer bomb blast mitigation, this product shields victims from shattering glass upon forced entry into a building. The addition of the 3M™ Impact Protection Adhesive completes the system by anchoring the film and the glass to the frame for improved performance.

Tier 2 – TRI-SHIELD®

Our forced entry protection system, TRI-SHIELD®, has been proven effective at resisting, delaying, and preventing attackers from stepping foot inside targeted businesses. TRI-SHIELD® uses proprietary encapsulation on both sides of the glass surface allowing the system to maintain the advantage of the strength of the glass and the flexibility of the film through a prolonged break-in attempt.

Tier 3: Riot Glass®

In a category all of its own, Riot Glass is a patented framing and clear ArmorPlast shield system made from a combination of polycarbonate and plastics that denies access from unwanted intruders. Riot Glass passed the Miami-Dade Large Missile Impact Test – showcasing its powerful hurricane-rated protection.

Tier 4: Ballistic Glass

Our Ballistic Glass is a strong and optically transparent material that is particularly resistant to penetration by projectiles.

Maximum protection, minimal cost

A major priority for cannabis retailers when implementing a retail store is security. Because the requirements may be different for cannabis storeowners than other retailers, their need for higher ranking security provisions is a standard. For example, in some areas, storefronts are required to darken their windows. Security window films and systems afford cannabis store owners peace of mind and compliance when moving forward with their entrepreneurial efforts.

NGS’ storefront glazing security solutions help protect against forced entry, looting, riots, bomb blasts, and natural disasters such as windstorms and seismic events. And with a tiered approach, it is possible to maximize protection while minimizing cost.

Defend Your Glass

Want to learn more? Watch our on-demand webinar of how NGS’ Retrofit Security Applications for Glazing can harden glazing and improve storefront security, or download our recent Storefront Security and Emergency Response report.