Grant Dunnington, the chief executive officer of SBV Services, a risk management company, offers business owners tips on how their employees can act during a business robbery:
• Stay calm. Resistance could provoke the attackers into becoming aggressive and this can only result in tragedy.
• Follow the perpetrators’ instructions. It’s human nature for people to volunteer to do more than has been asked of them, just to get the ordeal over with as quickly as possible. Robbers often interpret such behaviour as a trap, causing them to panic.
• Should employees need to move around in response to the attackers’ instructions, they must vocalise every action while keeping their hands in open sight. If they tell the robbers exactly what they are about to do, the robbers won’t think they are not co-operative.
• Stay alert. Mentally record everything you can about the robbers – their races, ages, clothing, eye colour or distinct features such as tattoos and piercings, as well as everything they touch (should they not be wearing gloves). This will help to catch the perpetrators after the event.
• When the robbers are about to leave or are leaving, don’t look them in the eye or try to run after them.
• As soon as they leave, ensure that everyone at the premises is safe. Go into a secure location or lock up the premises to call the police just in case the robbers come back.
• Ask everyone who witnessed the incident to stay put until the police arrive and have taken statements.
• While waiting for the police, leave the crime scene exactly as it was left by the robbers.
Details: 073 317 6581 or grace@continuumstudios.co.za
