Dividing your facility into a series of ‘zones’ can help address security needs of each section
To protect assets, many cannabis retailers instinctively seek to secure their cash registers, vaults and product inventory. But there are vulnerabilities beyond these areas: identifying them, and the best way to protect them, offers the greatest chance of preventing crime and dealing with the aftershock when a crime occurs.
Think of your cannabis business as a series of “zones,” with each zone having different vulnerabilities and security needs. This will help you identify your key threats and effectively match security efforts to the level of risk facing employees, customers and assets. Understanding the threats and level of risk will also help you prioritize where to spend your security dollars.
Zone 1: Interior Back
The interior back of a dispensary is where it all happens. It’s where cash and inventory are stored and incoming shipments/deliveries are received. Depending on the size of the facility, it may also include employee break rooms and office space. Typically located at the physical back or rear of the store, access to this zone should be limited to approved personnel.
Key threats and vulnerabilities of this area:
– Limited visibility and less likely to have cameras, so more vulnerable to employee theft.
– Delivery personnel may enter the area and pose a security threat.
– Most criminals know that stock and cash are stored in the rear of the store, so this zone is what they target for robberies and burglaries.
Security considerations for Zone 1:
– Motion detectors that indicate access outside of business hours.
– Door contacts to sound when anyone enters or exits.
– Cameras to minimize employee/vendor/delivery personnel theft.
– TL rated safe to prevent access to protected cash and product.
– GPS tracking placed with cash and product to catch criminals, recover assets and prevent future crime.
Zone 2: Store Interior
The store interior is the high-traffic consumer area where assets are displayed and cash transactions are conducted. This zone requires covert but effective security solutions to not only deter crime, but also to ensure customer and staff safety in the event of a crime.
Key threats and vulnerabilities of this area:
– Onsite ATMs to accommodate cash-only transactions; these ATMs are typically smaller and less secure models and serve as easy paydays for criminals.
– Inviting store designs that cater more to customer experience than staff/product security.
– Lackluster security systems without user-activated push buttons or camera links that share recorded audio and video directly with designated personnel or police.
Security considerations for Zone 2:
– Cameras to deter crime and to be used forensically if a crime does occur.
– Cash boxes where all $50 and $100 bills are deposited and stay protected from robbery.
– GPS trackers stored with cash in the register allow the criminal to leave thinking they got what they wanted but provide tracking info to police for apprehension and recovery.
– Holdup buttons or SaaS technology to provide staff with a means to notify designated security personnel of a crime.
– ATM protection including bollards, custom surrounds and security brackets to make it harder to steal the ATM. GPS trackers inside the ATM can also detect and report an attack and travel with the stolen ATM to help law enforcement recover the machine and cash.
Zone 3: Entry/Exit
This is a high traffic area that can, unfortunately, offer easy access to robbers.
Key threats and vulnerabilities of this area:
– Open access store designs that encourage customer entry but also create quick and easy access for robbers.
– Staff performing opening and closing procedures are especially vulnerable. Poor lighting conditions and little to no foot traffic create an optimal situation for criminals during these hours.
Security considerations for Zone 3:
– Access control. There are benefits to open access, but if your dispensary is in a high-crime or isolated area, it may be beneficial to consider using an access control system for all visitors.
– Cameras positioned at all doors can act as a deterrent and can provide forensic evidence to law enforcement following a crime.
– Mantrap security doors offer many different features and levels of security to protect your entrance and exit.
– SaaS systems support safe open/close and facility clearing procedures. Usually accessed on a staff member’s smartphone, these systems offer a virtual security escort and allow employees to quickly and safely report a security threat.
Zone 4: Exterior and Transport
The parking lot and exterior of the location require 24/7 security that operates with minimal staff intervention. Cash, cargo, staff and customers are at risk in this area.
Key threats and vulnerabilities of this area:
– Customers and staff traversing the parking lot can be in danger from the criminal element.
– Shipments in transport are always extremely vulnerable. Criminals know that in a single delivery or pickup, there are large amounts of cash and product that are outside the security of the dispensary.
Security considerations for Zone 4:
– Correctly positioned cameras can detect loitering and can be used for license plate recognition if a crime occurs.
– Lighting is critical both to prevent crime and to instill a feeling of security for staff and customers.
– Maintenance of the area is a simple but often overlooked way to secure your parking areas. Clean up trash, get rid of weeds, properly maintain the parking surface. If the area looks clean and well-kept, you are less likely to attract the criminal element — plus, a pleasing appearance will help attract customers.
– SaaS systems can provide safe egress through the parking lot, even at night and when few people are around.
– GPS trackers placed inside shipments of cash or product offer superior protection as they can automatically detect and report the crime while providing law enforcement with the tracking info to secure an arrest and recovery.
Zone 5: Community
Maintaining a good public image is important to cannabis businesses, and it’s something the industry is still struggling with. The community may not embrace the presence of a cannabis retail store but by employing strong security measures, you can minimize the risk of crime at your facility and create positive community relations.
Things to consider:
– Community relationships can be challenging, and people may have a “not in my backyard” attitude to cannabis businesses. However, there was a time when people didn’t want to live near banks because they feared the crime that frequently happened at them. People don’t feel that way anymore because banks proactively engaged multiple layers of security — such as cameras, alarms, GPS tracking and dyepacks — and crimes at banks plummeted. Banks are also very aware of projecting the right public image through physical appearance and maintenance. By following similar guidelines, there’s no reason a similar metamorphosis can’t take place for the cannabis industry.
– Law enforcement relationships are critical. Police are certainly part of what we recognize as the local community. However, cannabis professionals sometimes feel disconnected from police. This situation is changing as cannabis gains wider acceptance, but cannabis businesses can work to make this acceptance happen more quickly. Using robust security protects not only your business, customers and staff, it also protects law enforcement by minimizing the dangerous situations they face if there is a crime at your location. Retailers of all kinds know this and proactively work to protect themselves. Meeting law enforcement halfway can make all the difference.
Conclusion
The right security is critical to the success of all types of cannabis businesses. It may seem overwhelming to determine what your business needs, but it doesn’t have to be. Just as the longest journey begins with a single step, a comprehensive security solution begins with a simple plan:
– Evaluate your business by zone and determine the greatest vulnerabilities.
– Determine a realistic security budget.
– Prioritize your spend to the most exposed areas first.
– Look for solutions that protect multiple zones; these offer the most protection and best payback.
– Keep reviewing both your plan and your budget and make adjustments and additional expenditures as needed.
Lisa Moughan is the director of marketing at 3SI Security Systems. Moughan joined 3SI in 2014 and has been involved in strategy, digital marketing, market research and branding. Her recent focus has been on growing the cannabis market’s knowledge of how the right security technology can protect staff, customers, product and profits.