Security by Design

It can be argued that a criminal considers two factors when sizing up his target: the amount of money he thinks he can steal and the size of the risk he'd be taking to try to steal it.

Cash-control policies figure into the first determinant, but the second ? how big a risk the criminal faces ? can be addressed through store design.

"By increasing visibility and the ability to record the illegal event through layout and design, we can increase the risk a robber would be taking, and reduce the likelihood of getting robbed," said Gerald Lewis, chairman and CEO of CDI Group Inc., a retail design firm based in New York.

There are a number of design elements that affect security, that many operators overlook, he noted. One, for example, is the placement of pay phones.

Robbers sometimes will pretend to talk on the phone, while watching the checkout counter for an ideal chance to strike, he said. "That is one way to be in the store for a long time without raising suspicion. The robber waits until the store clears out, then walks up to the counter and robs the employee," Lewis said.

To avoid this potential security risk, many designers recommend phones be placed outside. "But if you put the phone inside the store, place it in an alcove, perhaps near the bathrooms, so that a person on the phone can't see what is going on at the checkout," he advised. "Then point a camera on the phone, so a manager or employee can watch it."

Speaking of bathrooms, Michael Lawshe, president of Paragon/Solutions, a Fort Worth, Texas-based design firm, offers this tip: Put the women's restroom before the men's. "I don't want women walking down the hallway past the men's room, where they could be trapped," he said.

Also, do not put drop ceilings in a bathroom. "We've seen cases of people climbing up and waiting in the ceiling until after closing or a man climbing up and hiding in the women's room," Lawshe said. "Another common use is someone putting drugs up in the ceiling, then going to the parking lot to get paid before the person buying the drugs goes into the bathroom to retrieve it."

In other areas of the store, retailers should avoid suspending large signs from the ceiling. "Huge sign-age can make it difficult to position security cameras so that they scan the entire store," Lewis noted.

Another pet peeve of designers: Don't cover floor-to-ceiling glass windows with signage. "You want to put the person at the checkout counter on stage," Lewis said. "We also recommend elevating the checkout area, because it gives the employee better visibility of the store and puts him more at eye level to the customer."

Proper merchandise layout is key to security. "For example, if you merchandise magazines near an ATM, a person could loiter there, watch the customer go up to the ATM, see what his security code is and how much money he takes out," Lawshe said.

Small items should be merchandised near the checkout. In stores open during hours that beer sales may not be permitted by local law, lockable cooler doors can minimize illegal sales and robberies, Lewis added.

Also, avoiding "dead spots" through savvy design may boost sales and prevent pilferage, he said. "You don't want a point in the store where an employee at the transaction counter can't see a customer."

The pay point should be positioned for optimum visibility, at the end of a natural traffic pattern, he added. "When the customer walks past the checkout, it should be the last thing he does on the way out of the store. A problem with some layouts is the checkout counters are separated from the entrance and exit. This is a one-way layout," Lewis said.

"Some people will pay for what they pick up on the way to the register, but what they pick up on the way from the register to the door is on you," he added.

But it's dishonest employees who pilfer the greatest percentage of stolen merchandise. "Make sure you plan the placement of signage and cameras near the transaction area so that you can clearly record it," Lewis said.