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  SPRING 2012
 

Preventing Workplace Theft

Your purse disappears from your desk. A piece of scrap paper in HR’s recycle bin has your social insurance number on it. Inventory mysteriously goes missing from the warehouse.

Whether you’re an employee, manager or business owner, theft has a tremendous impact on the workplace. It destroys trust, morale and profitability. However, you can take steps to reduce theft.


Consider your office a public area. Even if you trust your co-workers, clients, delivery people and other visitors may drop in. Keep your wallet, cell phone and keys with you, or locked up at all times.

Set up proper document management procedures. Strictly limit access to confidential personal and corporate information, using password-protected networks online and locked files for hard copies. Use virtual private networks to send files offsite, and shred paper copies before recycling.

Implement checks and balances. Assign purchasing, receiving and accounts payable responsibilities to different employees. Rotate inventory responsibility and check finished goods and raw materials continually.

Install a security system. Access control, intrusion detection and video surveillance systems can go a long way toward reducing theft in the workplace.

For more safety and security tips, check out our blog.


Urban Farming


Despite the occasional snowflake, mid-March is still a good time to start growing your own food. Prepare your garden by baiting slugs, clearing weeds and adding compost or manure. Then pop in cold weather vegetable seeds like lettuce, kale, spinach and cabbage.

No patience for seeds? Wait till after the last frost, around mid-April, before transplanting cold-weather bedding plants. If in doubt, check with your local gardening centre.

Residential Garage Break-Ins

In recent months, Vancouver Police have noticed increasing residential garage break-ins on the East Side. What thieves are doing:

  • Stealing remote garage door openers from cars parked outside.
  • Cutting open garage door panels and pulling the emergency cord.
  • Prying open windows and kicking in pedestrian doors.
What you can do:

  • Don’t leave your garage door opener in a parked vehicle.
  • Reinforce door panels and tie the emergency cord away from the door.
  • Lock all windows and doors.
  • Install a security system, including motion sensor lights and intrusion detectors for the garage.
  • Mark your property with your driver’s license number, or keep a record of serial numbers.
  • Remove valuables such as GPS systems, stereo faceplates, cell phones and other valuables before leaving your car in the garage.
  • Call 9-1-1 if you see a suspicious person walking, cycling or driving slowly down your alley or cutting through yards.


   

What's On In
Greater Vancouver?

CelticFest Vancouver/St. Patrick’s Day Parade
– see web site
for venues
March 10 to 18

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
– see web site
for events and venues
April 5 to 28

Vancouver Sun Run
Downtown Vancouver
April 15

Cloverdale Rodeo and County Fair
Cloverdale Fair Grounds
May 18 to 21

Vancouver International Children’s Festival
Granville Island
May 28 to June 3

Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival
Concord Pacific Place, Creekside Park, False Creek
June 10 to 12


Beware What You Share Online

THINK LIKE A CYBERTHIEF

  1. Use complex passwords and change them frequently. Use different passwords for different sites.
  2. Don’t give out your full name or city of residence. A cyberthief can use these to look up your address and phone number online.
  3. With your e-mail address and password, anyone can log into a retail web site offering a password recovery service. The cyberthief can then shop using your saved credit card information. Opt out of storing information, if possible.

Check out Radius’ recent blogs on avoiding Facebook scams.

More cyber safety tips to come.

Quick Safety Tip

TURN OFF GEOTAGGING

Most smartphones and digital cameras automatically tag your photos with your location. Turn off this geotagging feature. If someone knows when you’re away, it makes your home a prime robbery target.



 
 



Radius Security
22131 Fraserwood Way
Richmond, BC, V6W 1J5
o: 604.232.2407
f: 604.232.3488
info@radiussecurity.ca