Protecting your business from break-ins and theft is at the core of commercial security solutions. After all, you want to ensure your employees and company assets are safe. But what about lesser damage such as vandalism? Vandalism may cost you less in terms of clean-up, but it is still and expense you don’t need, can damage your brand image, and can be an indication that criminals in the area think your facility is an easy mark.

Almost any industry has the potential to be vandalized, and the perception is that ‘mischief ‘crimes are on the rise. In fact, a private members bill, C-305, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (mischief) was introduced in 2016. It seeks to amend the Criminal Code’s section dealing with hate crimes, to expand the scope of buildings it applies to. Currently this section applies to religious buildings, but if the bill is passed it will include property used for education, administration, social, cultural, as well as seniors’ residences. The intent of C-305 is to recognize that vandalism motivated by hatred can occur at other locations, other than a place of worship.

If your organization represents a cultural or religious community, you need to protect your facility against this type of destructive and hurtful crime.

But any business or facility can be the target of random vandalism such as broken windows, damaged cars, spray-painted graffiti.

Over the years I’ve heard many cases of the same school being vandalized repeatedly, and even restaurants, car dealerships and religious organizations are all vulnerable to vandals. And the persons responsible can be anyone from mischievous kids who decide to break into their rivals school, to gangs defacing your property with graffiti.

In 2015, Statistics Canada’s Crime Report shows that there was 274,725 Property Crime Violations for ‘Mischief’ in Canada. These type of crimes for B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan amounted to 45% of the total.

The cost of vandalism is very high – if your insurance covers repairs and the replacement of vandalized property, you’ll still may face an interruption of business. If you are targeted frequently it will play havoc with your premiums. And depending on the amount of damage or frequency of vandalism, you may be facing lost sales or a loss of trust and credibility.

What is Vandalism?

Vandalism is defined as deliberate mischievous or malicious destruction or damage of property. It can include physically damaging behaviour such as breaking windows, slashing tires, spray painting a wall with graffiti. In order to obtain a conviction, it must be proven that the accused willfully damaged or destroyed property that did not belong to them, or they had the intent to do so.

How Can You Prevent Vandalism?

The goal of vandalism prevention is to stop vandals before they are able to cause damage to your property. You need to look at various deterrents such as signage, CCTV, barriers to access.

Video surveillance cameras and security signage are both visual deterrents that may help you discourage malicious vandalism. But a stand-alone CCTV camera is a waste of time against vandalism, at it provides a record of the event to be watched after the fact. You need to have a monitored verified video system on the outside of building so the vandals are spotted and watched so the crime can be reported as early as possible.

Our Sonitrol verified security solutions have a very high rate of success. We catch a lot of vandals.

With more than 175,000 criminal captures, we have the highest documented apprehension rate in the industry. It’s not the signs or the cameras that help us deter crime – it’s our unique technology. We’re so good at capturing criminals, those in the know will purposely avoid entering Sonitrol-monitored sites. And because of our reputation, and verification process, the local police respond to our alarms, fast!

What makes Sonitrol special is our integrated audio and video technologies. We're able to stop vandals before they damage your property because we are able to identify vandalism as it is happening and dispatch police or a guard – unlike conventional alarms, there is no delay between the vandalism and our ability verify the crime as it happens. Once we verify that the crime is in progress, we dispatch the Police who arrive, on average, after 3.5 minutes - often before the vandalism is done.

Vandalism can be a random act, or your facility could be targeted. Our security specialist can evaluate your property and its relationship to the surrounding buildings in the neighbourhood, to identify the best places to position signage, CCTV, or audio alarms. We’ll look over your current security devices, including locks, lighting, fencing, and alarms - to recommend the best system for your type of business.

Protect your property from vandalism with the most effective, integrated, and verified security technology. Get in touch with us today to talk about commercial security and arrange for an on-site review of your business or organization.

About Sonitrol Western Canada

We're so confident in our technology and responsive service, that no one else in the industry can match our guarantee.  Our unique verified audio and CCTV video business security solutions enable our operators to hear and see what is happening in your business before the criminals gain entry!!  We verify the actual source of the alarm, and we get the police to attend the scene immediately. We are a security company with over 150 offices across North America serving clients across Western Canada, including British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon.  

Sonitrol Western Canada, with its Verified Electronic Security Systems, is committed to providing customers with the most comprehensive security protection.  Cooperation in the elimination of false alarms is not only beneficial to the system’s user but results in better protection of the entire community by allowing law enforcement to use their resources as efficiently as possible.