Not all damage to commercial structures comes from natural sources. Sometimes it’s deliberate and malicious. Vandalism can quickly ruin the look of your business, or even cause more serious structural damage, requiring immediate action from a Chicagoland restoration company.
Of course, a good restoration contractor can fix the damage, but it’s better to avoid such damage in the first place. Here are a few tips for discouraging vandalism on your property.
Six Preventative Measures to Reduce Vandalism
- Immediately repair any damage
Should your property get vandalized, it should be corrected as soon as possible, even if it’s something non-damaging like graffiti. Allowing the vandalism to remain visible will encourage more vandals in the future.
- Install more lighting and security
Dark places are more likely to attract vandals. If the entire exterior of your property is well-lit, with visible security cameras in place, that’s going to provide a significant deterrent factor. You might also consider some form of security monitoring if you have a particular reason for concern.
3 – Keep your exterior areas clean
Any sort of outdoor trash or debris on your property can also encourage vandals since poor upkeep makes them think they have the right to make matters worse. Be scrupulous about keeping the areas around your business clean and well-maintained.
- Form a “neighborhood watch” group with other local businesses
You might be competitors in business, but you can still work together to deter crime for the common good. Share access to each other’s outdoor security cameras, encourage visible inspection of each other’s properties after dark, and have means to immediately contact each other should criminal activity occur.
- Always report ANY illegal activity
Never let even minor vandalism slide. Always report any incident to the police, no matter how minor. It helps them collect evidence, or at least gather data points that may help predict future crimes.
- Consider physical upgrades for your business
While overkill when fighting against minor types of vandalism, if you’re worried about more serious attacks – such as thrown rocks or arson – upgrading your physical protection is always an option. Bullet-proof windows, for example, will block pretty much any projectile. Or, steel doors will be far harder to damage than wood or aluminum.
However, if your Chicago-area property ever does get damaged, you can rely on Genesis Construction to restore your building at affordable rates. Contact us for a free quote.
