The Lynchburg Police Department helps local retail businesses, manufacturers, medical facilities, and business offices reduce business-related crime by providing free security assessments and educational programs upon request.
The goal of the Lynchburg business crime prevention initiatives is to create a safer environment for a business, their employees and customers. LPD Crime Prevention Specialists, upon request, will conduct a free security assessment of your property to help identify vulnerabilities in your physical security, and offer suggestions to improve workplace safety policies and procedures.
During a Security Assessment, some of the areas that will be reviewed to check for problems and offer suggestions for improvement are as follows:
Perimeter of the Property:
- Signage
- Parking area
- Lighting
- Landscaping
- Fencing/Gates
- Dumpster
Building:
- Door construction/installation
- Locks/Hardware
- 360 Viewers/ Height markers
- Windows
Interior Controls:
- Alarm /Panic alarms system
- Smoke alarms/Fire ext.
- Camera placement
- Doors locked
- Interior signage
- Interior lights adequate
- Lights on after closing
- Key Control measures
- Janitor/storage areas secured
- Delivery access
- ID Badges
- Visitor’s access
- Records secured
- Cash control/bank deposits
- Safe bolted to floor
- Security mirrors/placement
- Visibility in and out/ blind spots
- Lay out of store, shelves
- Electronic Security Tags
- Equipment/inventory
- Telephone/Caller ID/
- Bomb Threat procedure
- Closing procedures
Employee Safety Measures:
- Hiring /background checks
- Crisis Management plan
- Training- checks, ID theft, etc.
- Employee possessions secured
- Emergency codes/plans
- First Aid training
- Customer Service training (shoplifting prevention)
- Workplace Violence zero tolerance
- No Trespass Authorization letter
Please contact Cindy Kozerow at cynthia.kozerow@lynchburgva.gov or 434-455-6145 to schedule an assessment for your business.
The LPD also provides training to Lynchburg businesses on various related topics of interest to help in maintaining a safe and secure worksite. Topics include:
- Preventing shoplifting and loss prevention
- Personal safety in the workplace
- Target hardening for retail businesses
- Basic retail crime prevention
- Identity theft and fraud prevention
- Workplace violence Prevention
- Gang Awareness
- Alarm procedure for banks and credit unions
Additionally, the LPD coordinates a Loss Prevention Task Force, which began in 2011, that meets to discuss current problems and increase crime awareness among the retailers in our area. This group has proven to be very helpful in spotting trends in shoplifting, identifying organized retail crime, and in improving communication between the stores and the police department. The loss prevention, asset protection staff and store managers meet to identify suspects, share observations about crime trends, and work collaboratively to prosecute offenders. The group has expanded to include law enforcement from Amherst, Bedford, and Campbell counties and a representative from the Lynchburg Office of the Commonwealth Attorney.
Any retail store or manufacturing loss prevention staff or managers are welcome to attend the monthly meetings. The group meets on the last Friday of each month at 11 a.m. at various locations. If you would like additional information, please contact Cindy Kozerow at 434-455-6145.