Since 1977 Sonitrol has assisted with the capture of over 175,000 criminals. This success is a result of our verified surveillance technology, which catches criminals in the act, as well as our strong relationships with authorities across North America.

The latest data from Statistics Canada has found that Alberta is the leading province in Canada for the number of cannabis stores, as well as the total amount of cannabis retail sales. With so much business in the province, security for your dispensary should be top-of-mind.

The research found that, as of the end of February 2019, there are 75 retail cannabis stores operating in Alberta. The province’s stores have combined to sell $33 million worth of legal marijuana since October 17, 2018, when marijuana was first legalized. 

When we think of employee theft, the first things that come to mind are often tangible goods such as money from a till, property and supplies or goods and merchandise. In these situations, careful management and reconciliation through nightly balancing and regular inventory counts can be an effective way to recognize and reduce loss.

However, as a business owner, there are a number of ways that employees can commit fraud and remove assets from your business that may be less apparent. This is because employee theft can go beyond the things that we can touch and see. 

The importance of a verified security solution to protect your organization from copper theft has been brought to attention again after two men have been charged with copper wire theft in Calgary. It is believed they caused $300,000 in damage to the city’s oilfield well sites.

In the same week, an Alberta police officer claimed the province could see fewer copper wire thefts if some changes were made to the province’s regulations. 

If you have ever had a false alarm, you know the personal stress it has caused you – needlessly worrying about the safety of your property, the inconvenience of having to sort out the problem, and the frustration of the time spent dealing with an issue that actually wasn’t even an issue at all.

If a false alarm results in a call to the police or other emergency services, it isn’t just the time and money of the emergency services that will be wasted - it could also now result in a fine for your business. 

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has recently revealed figures relating to two recent pilot projects aimed at reducing rural crime in central Alberta - and so far they have been a success! 

In an industry like retail, every dollar counts. However, with roughly $10 million in retail products being stolen in 2018 in Calgary stores alone, it can be hard for you as a retail operator to stay competitive, especially when you are having to increase prices to offset inventory shrinkage.

Unlike the criminals of the past, the motivation of modern shoplifters is becoming more advanced and methodical. 

If you own an automotive dealership in Western Canada you’ve probably heard the news - Alberta and Western Canada, in general, have incredibly high automotive crime rates.

Alberta, in particular, has been hit massively by automotive thefts in the past couple of years. In fact, thefts of vehicles in Alberta has jumped 56 per cent over the past five years - placing the county as the hotbed of Canadian vehicle crime. 

In Edson, Alberta, a mosque is set ablaze a day after Eid al-Fitr, a celebration marking the end of the holy fasting month, Ramadan. Security cameras captured the suspect leaving the property in a dark hoodie.

In Edmonton, Alberta, a suspicious fire broke out at a United Church just before preschoolers were to arrive. Employees saw someone unfamiliar leaving the church but did not pursue them for safety reasons.

With 2019 finally here, many business owners across Western Canada will have already made their New Year’s Resolution - whether it be striving for a better work-life balance, driving up profits or hiring additional employees.

However there’s one New Year’s resolution that every business owner should be ensuring they achieve this year - improving the security of their business. 

As a business owner in Canada, you have more to worry about than securing your premises against burglars in the middle of the night. You need to protect personal and identifiable information on the people you work with and work for.

Like many companies, security is important to you, which is why you made sure your business had a security system installed. But time has passed, and the security landscape has changed – criminals have become more sophisticated and so has the technology that should be protecting your business from them.

Organizations often become complacent, and only realize that their security system is no longer enough after a security breach.

Have you ever been the victim of a crime and wondered why your security system didn’t work? Perhaps you are just constantly wondering whether your conventional security alarm is enough to deter criminals? It’s more than likely that you need to do more to secure your business.

If your business is like most in Western Canada, then you probably need to invest in new technology and implement a smarter plan to properly protect your assets. 

Christmas represents a happy time of the year, where family and friends get together and spirits are high all around. However, if you’re a property owner or manager with multiple tenants, don’t let that bring you into a false sense of security.

While Christmas can be one of the most joyous times of the year and a time to celebrate with those you love, criminals are known to take advantage of businesses throughout the festive months. 

The restaurant industry is highly competitive and fast-paced, but while you are focusing on keeping ahead of your competitor down the road you probably haven’t realized that there is a much greater threat to your business.

The holiday season is fast approaching which means many professional businesses are getting ready for reduced office hours and time off.

Whether you run a small business, a law firm, an accountant practice, or a general business operation, your business is vulnerable to crime, especially at this time of year when employees are away and you have closed up shop for some well-deserved time with friends and family. 

At first thought it would be easy to understand why most people would have the impression that a government building is safe from crime - surely a criminal would assume that the government employs the best security solution they can find?

Unfortunately, this isn’t true, and criminals know it. In fact, many government buildings still do not possess security systems that are specifically designed for each individual location. 

While the rules surrounding cannabis cultivation, processing and sales vary from province to province, now that marijuana is legal in Canada, one thing remains the same – your cannabis based business requires top level security to keep your product and employees safe, as well as to ensure you meet regulated security requirements.

Owning and operating a business is no easy task, and business owners are constantly asking themselves a plethora of questions from how much profit they are making, how they can grow the company and what’s changed in the market.

But have you ever stopped to ask yourself this - is my business safe from criminals and do I have a robust security solution in place? 

The time between Thanksgiving and New Years is a time for celebration, delicious meals and catching up with the people who are most important to you. However, with the good comes the bad and the holiday season also means an increased need for security at your retail store.