SHOP SECURITY & SECURITY SHUTTERS

[leenewham]

David Cameron announced today that:

"A specific point was raised with me in Wolverhampton yesterday, that planning regulations make it difficult for shops to put up protective shutters.

We will weed out unnecessary planning regulations to ensure that businesses can get back on their feet and feel secure as quickly as possible."

I think this is a mistake.

Costcutter had security shutters and they were broken into. Infact they were the only shop to be broken into in Sydenham I believe (I know the Pawnbrokers had an attempted break in).

Across London I keep seeing images of security shutters ripped from their mounds, the shops looted. They didn't stop the looters, in fact they almost seemed to see it as a challenge.

It would be a shame to make all our high streets look like no-go high security industrial zones by installing ugly, grimey shutters everywhere. There are enough of them already and they clearly haven't been that effective in the recent troubles.

Infact by making our town centres more dreary, depressing, ugly places to be they may make the situation even worse.

There are many images on the following links.

More info here:
http://whatifsydenham.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/368/

…and here:
http://andrewlainton.wordpress.com/2011 ... omment-256

[maestro]

Shop owners will often have no choice about them, because insurance companies usually insist roller shutters are installed as terms of their policy. The shutters are nearly always connected to an alarm system (which will also contact a central monitoring station who will alert the police and key holders on activation), and, in normal circumstances, are an effective intruder deterrent. At times of riot, however, when looters en mass are simultaneously smashing their way into numerous premises, then no security measures are going to provide 100% protection. Unsightly they may be, especially when they attract graffiti, but, like hideous satellite dishes that adorn so many beautiful buildings, they're a fact of life.

[leenewham]

I'm surprised that insurance companies insist on them being installed as they make no difference to the premium.

Which shops do insurance companies insist they are installed on? It isn't all of them. I can understand for Jewellery stores. But banks don't have them although for some reason chicken shops do.

Currently, in some areas, planning doesn't allow them to be installed. Does this mean that certain shops can't open there? Central London has hardly any security shutters.

In Sydenham current planning means that a shop has to apply to install them and they can't install ones that completely obscure the shop front, like Paulros.

Do you work in insurance or own a shop Maestro? Where are your sources as I've yet to meet a local business owner that HAD to install security shutters, it's always been a choice (I'd just like to know as I'm working on a series of shop fronts soon and want to know if anything has changed).

[maestro]

I work in the security industry. Yes there are areas where shutters are not permitted, so insurers will insist on other security measures (CCTV etc.). Shutters are useful for preventing wanton vandalism. It may just be a chicken shop behind the shutter, but if someone throws a brick at it, then it'll just bounce off. If the shutter wasn't there, then there's a huge pane of glass to replace at a cost of several hundred pounds (which is likely to get broken again soon after it's been repaired). Banks will always have CCTV outside and inside the premises, as well as sophisticated perimeter alarm systems. Staff at the banks security centre can watch what is happening inside and outside the moment an alarm is triggered, and cash will be locked in a high security vault, so shutters are not really necessary.

[leenewham]

You don't work for a company selling roller shutters do you? Hehehe.

Do you have a list of the shops that insurance companies require roller shutters or CCTV cameras for?

Roller shutters seem to be classified in different categories such as security classes II & III. They vary quite a bit from shutter to shutter, company to company.

I'm trying to find out more information, there seems to be little, if any, actual information on security shutters aside from companies trying to sell you one. If a shop is going to install one it's best to get the right information out there so they can make the right decision.

[maestro]

No, I have nothing to do with grilles, locks or shutters, I'm involved with all the electronic gubbins like alarms, CCTV, access control/entryphones, security lighting etc. I do often get involved in connecting roller shutters to the alarm system though.

[LivesNearby]

Seems like MrC was shooting from the hip.

A quick Google turns up LPS1175 as the standard for "intruder resistant building components". Even Category 8 can only withstand 20 minutes of assault (from an, admittedly, impressive array of weaponry). However, the best shutters on the market only attain a Category 3 rating, which is good for 5 minutes against a crowbar. Most riots tend to last longer than that.

[leenewham]

Thanks LN (good initials by the way), I've just written a blogpost about how we can make shop shutters look better:

http://whatifsydenham.wordpress.com/201 ... o-be-ugly/

These shutters are rather attractive and are level 2 and 3 security, which seems to make them as good as the completely covered shutters.