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UNWANTED
CHRISTMAS BELLS
A SIGN OF THE CHIMES: POLICE CLAMPDOWN OF
FALSE ALARMS CAUSED BY CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
Paul Burchfield
‘TIS the season to be jolly’ but within both year’s November and, more importantly, where general talks between ACPO
decking the stores with and December months with at not to place decorations. Tips and the retailers to resolve this
‘boughs of holly’ or any other least 17 per cent directly include: issue.
kind of decoration could triggered by over-ambitious • Don’t put hanging SSS argues that apart from
present retailers with a major Christmas displays. The decorations near to store Christmas decorations, the
security risk this year as police company, which carried out its exits and electronic majority of false alarms are
are getting tougher on the own 2007 Industry Report into surveillance (EAS) gates or triggered by shop floor
false alarm activations that are the high levels of false alarm antenna personal alarms. But with
often caused by festive activations, has issued • Don’t hang festive trimmings increased staff training and the
trimmings located too close to guidelines on how to avoid near to heating ducts or air new audio and visual
sensitive detector equipment. festive fall-outs with under- conditioning units where verification systems that are
Shop managers and chain resourced and over-stretched convection (rising heat or air) now gaining the support of
store interior planners are now police who, SSS warns, will now can trip sensitive security the police, call-outs can be
mapping out how they will ‘black list’ stores that break systems dramatically reduced.
‘deck’ their stores to maximise tough new rules designed to • Don’t hang decorations near “The police have a valid
on festive footfall, particularly eliminate bogus call-outs. to intruder alarm sensors point, but retailers need to
after such poor summer sales. The Association of Chief • Don’t hang decorations off know that there stores and
But tough new rules Police Officers (ACPO) has now any point of sale (PoS) staff are safe in the event of a
introduced by senior police introduced guidelines that signage genuine alarm, and with the
officers could result in shops stipulate that, in most cases, • Don’t hang decorations close increase in violent assaults on
losing officer cover for three more than one false trigger at to CCTV cameras as this can staff, there needs to be a
months if stray tinsel triggers a a store will mean removal of activate alarms and obscure better dialogue between the
false intruder alarm that police response for at least criminal activity police and the retail
requires police attendance. three months which is likely to “This is not ‘bah humbug’ on community. In light of the
SSS Management Services increases the risk to people and the part of the police. Both tragic events leading to the
which filters millions of alarm property, as well as increasing they and the retailers have very death of WPC Sharon
activations on behalf of some the burden on store resources difficult jobs to do in Beshenivsky in 2005, officers
of the biggest names on the and budgets, the report from protecting the public and staff, attending alarm call-outs need
High Street, warns that SSS Management Services says. but with up 96 per cent of to know what they are
Christmas is the season where SSS says that the dramatic alarm activations being false walking into and retailers need
false activations peak because increase in false call outs over you cannot blame officers who to reduce the number of false
retailers place decorations too Christmas was due to over- are increasingly over-stretched calls by educating their staff
near to sensitive security zealous design, but careful to prioritise their resources and about the incorrect use of
equipment or air-conditioning planning could reduce it and refuse to attend what is likely equipment or positioning of
and heating ducts that could enable a store to hold onto its to be a human-error induced shop displays and decorations.
inadvertently set off store response. activation,” says Paul We all want a good Christmas,
alarms. It has launched its ‘Don’t let Burchfield, managing director but a little thought could
Last Christmas SSS saw almost the trimmings turn you into a for SSS Management Services. mean staff are safe and police
double (48 per cent) the Christmas Turkey’ campaign to In light of the Industry only attend genuine
number of false activations educate retailers about where Report, SSS is calling for incidents,” he says. RF
ISSUE 3 DECEMBER 2008 • 05
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