Robbery
- To minimise the risk and effects of robbery, always have more than one member of staff on duty, remain vigilant for any suspicious activity and do not keep unnecessarily large amounts of cash on your premises
- Ensure all your employees are briefed on what to do if there is a robbery
- If your premises are robbed, take no risks with safety. Comply with the robber, make no sudden movements or noises and do exactly as you’re told. Do not try to be a hero by fighting back
- If you are witnessing the robbery but not directly involved, keep well away from the scene and if the robber has not seen you stay out of sight
- If your shop or premises has a silent alarm use it, but don’t take any risks in doing so. If you can do so safely, dial 999
- When the robber leaves, stop trading, close the premises and call the police. To help the police, do not touch anything you don’t have to, particularly if the offender has touched it
- Try to remember what the robber looked like. Pay particular attention to the offender’s age, if he or she has any tattoos or other distinguishing features, including their accent
- If the robber used or threatened to use a weapon, try to remember what it looked like
- If the robber used a vehicle, try to remember its registration number and its make, model and colour if possible
- Get the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses to enable the police to obtain as much information about the incident as possible
