Robbers ruin shop owners’ livelihoods
The robbers got away with numerous technological products, as well as a small sum of cash
There are four primary reasons that retail establishments are sought out by robbers; the business uses cash registers, the business sells or contains products that are easily turned into cash, the business is open during the evening or night, or the business has few employees on duty.
The very best targets, according to the Crime Prevention Service for Business at the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University, includes convenience stores, supermarkets, service stations, jewelry stores and liquor stores.
There are effective measures that business owners can take that will protect the assets of the business and make it safer for employees, for example: Always have two or more employees open and close the business, install an effective alarm system that is monitored, use surveillance cameras behind the cash register and facing out to the front of the counter, install surveillance cameras in areas where a person could hide, keep the outside doors in backrooms locked when not in use, have lockers or locked desks so employees can lock up any personal valuables, do not release personal information about employees to strangers and shred all past employee records when trashing it, keep a low cash balance in the cash registers, make regular bank deposits of excess money or lock it in a safe, vary the times and the routes used to go to the bank to make deposits, avoid sending one person to the bank with a deposit, avoid making deposits late at night, avoid hanging signs or putting displays on windows or around the sales counter that will obstruct the view of the register, in areas that are blocked by shelving you could hang concave mirrors, do careful reference checks on employees that are hired, have policies in place concerning employees’ friends or relatives hanging around the business and train employees to make eye contact and engage with the customers. An alert staff can quickly deter a would-be robber.
On August 15, at about lunchtime, a shop attendant in eMalahleni’s Central Business District (CBD) was busy pricing products for a client when three armed men entered the store.
Without hesitation, the three men drew firearms and pointed them at the two men in the shop; demanding cash and the products on display.
“I knew if I didn’t give them what they wanted, that they would shoot,” the shopkeeper (who would like to remain anonymous) stated.
The robbers got away with numerous technological products, as well as a small sum of cash.
On August 16, at approximately 15:00, a shop in Voortrekker Street was also robbed by three armed suspects; two who entered the shop, and one who remained outside to keep watch.
The two suspects who entered the shop immediately drew their firearms and demanded cash and airtime from the cashier; who, considering the circumstances, dually obliged.
On August 18, at about lunchtime in Duvha Park, a shop attendant was busy closing up for prayers when a man approached the store and demanded he open the safety gate.
The shop attendant obliged, but once the man was inside the store, he pulled out a revolver and demanded all of the money in the till.
“I was frozen with fear. I just gave him everything, including my cell phone. As soon as he had everything, he ran straight out of the door and down the street,” explained the shop attendant.
