Security for jewelers, pharmacies and shops that sell valuable goods

Why layered security?

In an ordinary shop, the alarm is usually limited to the door and the display window. At a jeweler’s, a pharmacy, or a shop selling phones and electronics, the thief’s target is clear and they come prepared. Instead of forcing the shutter, they may drill through the wall of the neighboring shop, enter through the roof, or attempt a robbery during business hours.

Layered security means meeting each way in with a separate measure. Different devices are used for the outer shell, the interior, the safe and the employee. Even if one layer is bypassed, the next one triggers the alarm. The layers are connected to the same alarm panel, and the event log shows which one was triggered separately; this way you also understand where the thief tried to get in. The recommendations in this article are explained using the example of a jeweler and a pharmacy, but they also apply to shops that sell phones, optical goods and watches.

Outer shell: shutter, door and display window

The first layer is the outer shell of the shop. A contact fitted to the shutter raises the alarm the moment the shutter is lifted. Shutter contacts should be chosen from models that withstand heavy use; a thin door contact will not last long against the vibration of a shutter that goes up and down every morning. Doors and rear exits are also protected with contacts.

A glass-break detector is used for the display window glass. This detector recognizes the sound the glass makes as it breaks. For wide display windows, the detector must be at an angle where it can see the glass and at the distance specified by the manufacturer. The roof and suspended ceiling are also a way in. In shops that can be reached from the floor above or from the roof, a motion sensor facing the ceiling or a sensor placed in the attic space should be considered.

For jewelers who take the goods out of the display window and put them in the safe at closing time, the window itself stops being a target. Even so, someone who breaks the glass of an empty window can reach the inside of the shop. That is why the window glass detector should stay installed even when the goods are not in the window. A motion sensor that covers the area right behind the shutter also catches a person who cuts through the shutter and enters at the very first step.

Wall and safe: vibration detector

In adjoining shops in a bazaar, the shared wall is the weakest point. A thief can enter the neighboring shop on a day when it is closed and drill through the wall to get in. Door and shutter contacts do not detect this attempt, because no one opens the door. A vibration (seismic) detector is fitted to the wall, ceiling or safe and detects the vibration produced by drilling, cutting and breaking.

A vibration detector fitted to the safe raises the alarm when the safe is moved or someone tries to open it. The detector’s sensitivity is set at installation. If heavy vehicles passing in front of the shop or machine vibration from the shop next door are not taken into account, false alarms can occur. That is why the setting is made by monitoring for a few days.

Expert note: Have the vibration detector fitted not only to the safe but also to the wall shared with the neighboring shop and, if there is one, the ceiling slab. Even if the safe is solid, in a shop entered through the wall the display window and shelves are left unprotected.

Business hours: panic button and employee safety

In shops that sell valuable goods, the risk is not only at night. The panic button is fitted under the counter or somewhere the employee can easily reach but the customer cannot see. It can be set so that when pressed, it sends a notification quietly, without sounding the siren, to the shop owner or the designated people. A silent alarm lets you raise the alert without escalating the situation.

In pharmacies on night duty that stay open at night, the employee is often alone. In these pharmacies, besides the panic button, a camera that sees the counter and the entrance and a portable panic button connected to the pharmacist’s phone can be considered. Fitting a lock on the door and serving customers through a small window after a certain hour at night is also a method some pharmacies prefer.

Camera: footage that works as evidence

A camera is useful after an incident. But a badly placed camera shows only the tops of heads when the police ask for the footage. In a shop that sells valuable goods, the cameras should be planned so that they see the following points.

Jewelers’ display windows use intense spotlighting. A camera facing the window directly can show faces dark because of this light. Choosing a wide dynamic range (WDR) camera that balances backlight, and placing the camera beside the light source rather than behind it, reduces this problem. Choose the lens of the camera at the entrance according to the width of the door as well; a wide-angle lens sees the whole door, but the face of the person coming in stays small.

• Entrance door: the face of everyone who comes in, from an angle close to eye level.
• Counter and safe: the hand that hands over the goods and the money, from above.
• Display window and shelves: anyone approaching the window during closed hours.
• Rear exit and storeroom: staff entry and goods receiving.
• Front of the shop: the sidewalk and vehicles pulling up.

Recorder, communication and backup power

The recorder is one of the first things a thief looks for. It should be placed in a locked cabinet, out of sight, and if possible the footage should also be copied to the cloud or to a device at another location. How many days the recordings are kept should also be assessed under Law No. 6698 on the protection of personal data, known as KVKK . It is right to get an opinion from a legal advisor on this.

The alarm system should be able to reach you in two separate ways: GSM and the internet. If a thief cuts the phone line or the modem cable, the other route keeps working. Backup power should be planned for the alarm panel, the recorder and the modem; a power cut can be part of a burglary attempt.

Who should you consult before installation?

In some lines of business, public institutions and professional chambers may have expectations about security measures. Because these expectations can change, find out the current situation from your professional chamber and the local police unit before installation. Your insurance company may also require certain devices for the policy; having the quote prepared according to this list avoids extra costs later.

In shops that sell valuable goods, Desa Bilişim examines the door, wall, safe and counter separately, and shows in the quote which device will be fitted where for each layer. After installation, the panic button and the alarm disarm procedure are tested together with the employees.

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