You roll into the office bright and early, set your purse on a table or chair in the break room, and head down the hall to start your day. Your morning is routine. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. But when you reach for your wallet to pay for lunch, it’s gone! Not in a pocket, not in your purse. Just gone.
Two similar incidents have been in the news recently. In one, a man nonchalantly strolled into a dental office in Jacksonville, Florida, walked into the employee break room and stole wallets, money and other contents from employee purses. In Houston, Texas, a woman pretending to be a patient told the staff she needed to use the bathroom. She then walked into an unlocked office, took a wallet out of a purse, and quietly left the office. In both cases, no one noticed anything was missing until later in the day.
The National Crime Prevention Council offers a list of measures to increase safety in the workplace:
- Keep your purse, wallet, keys or other valuables with you at all times or locked in a drawer or closet.
- Check the identity of any strangers who are in your office. If anyone makes you uncomfortable, inform management immediately. Be aware of who is in your waiting area at all times.
- Don’t stay late if you’ll be alone in the office.
Business owners should periodically assess the vulnerability of their offices to all kinds of crime, from theft and burglary to embezzlement. For example:
- Review operating procedures, hiring practices and special security risks.
- Mark your office equipment with identification numbers and keep an updated inventory list.
- Examine the physical layout of your offices and your building. Check for broken locks, dark or shaded areas. Report any broken or flickering lights, dimly lit corridors, broken windows, and doors that don’t close and/or lock properly.
- Create a buddy system for walking to parking lots or public transportation after hours, or ask a security guard to escort you.
- If you notice signs of potential violence in a fellow employee, report this to the appropriate person. Immediately report any incidents of sexual harassment.
- Know your office emergency plan. If your office does not have a plan, volunteer to help develop one.
Awareness is always the watchword. Follow crime prevention principals, and work with local law enforcement to protect your employees and your dental office.
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