Is this the real sign of the times?

Recently, our office experienced a burglary. Most desks were broken into, rummaged through, stuff thrown out of drawers, and items moved. The only items taken were money and food. What? No computers, servers, printers, scanners, or anything really of value was taken. They could have done significant damage to our infrastructure, but didn’t. Was it the homeless, a disgruntled employee, inside job, or just a complete stranger? Accusations are flying around the office, but we really just need to let the police do their job. For all we know, this could be just a piece of a larger puzzle.

The real concern is the question: Is increased crime going to be a sign of the times? Is this something we need to expect and accept? Desperate times could mean desperate measures for some.

We must accept that this could happen and try to prepare for it, or rather, prevent it from happening. Increased alarm systems and giving employees more information on safety is my suggestion. Make sure that if a break-in happens that the person(s) will be scared off and if possible, caught. Alarms and cameras can do the job pretty easily. Employees who work late or on the weekends are at risk. Making sure those employees are aware of the dangers and know how to keep themselves safe should be the primary concern of the organization.

I won’t say it in other arenas, but here, I’ll say it….I told you so!