Around 3:30pm on Friday February 12th, a parts driver making a delivery to Wenstrom Equipment spooked off a thief, but not before they stole six tires.
Wenstrom Equipment is located at 124 Centre Street in Langdon and owner, Carl Wenstrom said the whole thing was very fast. “The building was not locked at the time because we were all their working. In a matter of three minutes, this person in a black Chevy Avalanche, had tried to get eight tires but only made away with six when they were scared off”.
This story immediately hit social media and the community began to show support for the owner but also keep their eyes out for the thief. People begin wondering what is happening with the recent spike in crime in Langdon and neighbouring community Chestermere.
A study done in 2013 had criminologists reporting that tough economic times make more people willing to commit crimes. Bad economies lead to more property crimes and robberies as criminals steal items they cannot afford. The economic anxiety of bad times leads to more domestic violence and greater consumption of mind-altering substances, leading to more violence in general. But I think we can all agree that it still doesn’t make it right.
In an article done by the Business Insider, they addressed five things that business owners can do to keep themselves and their business safe.
- Assess Your Surroundings – Business owners and managers need to know what makes them vulnerable, whether it’s tall shrubs around the building that give potential criminals a place to hide, or, if you have a retail business, whether or not your cash register and safe are visible from the street. If they’re hidden from the street, criminals can try to break into them without having to worry about passersby calling the police.
- Do The Little Things – Effective locks, security systems and cameras, knowing who has keys to your business and also keeping track of who is coming and going.
- Use A Managed Security Service – In its simplest form, “managed security” means there’s a trained guard on the other end of any alarm.
- Conduct A Thorough Inventory and Audit – Keep updated employee records, with staff pictures, on file. Check references for all prospective employees. Have your valuable equipment cataloged with their serial numbers. Periodically, make sure employees aren’t leaving keys in file cabinets or leaving their computer passwords out in the open.
- Go For The Holistic Approach – make sure your employees are cared for and treated well — employee theft is, after all, a factor. Respect your employees and make sure everyone knows the ground rules.
Of course, one of the best guards is to be that nosey neighbour and let your neighbours know when you see something that doesn’t look right.
