This past week, two lockers were broken into at one of the Wisconsin Athletic Club’s (WAC) fitness facilities. The locker handles were yanked and ripped off the locks. The brazen thieves stole wallets and cell phones. We predict they won’t get far.

While the WAC is not one of our clients, they do have strategically located security cameras. It is our understanding that those cameras will be used to help identify and apprehend the thieves.

It is good the WAC has cameras installed. All fitness facilities should have cameras and access control. If you own or operate this type of business, and want to update what you have, please reach out to us here at H&S Protection. In SE Wisconsin, call 262.574.7777. In Central Wisconsin, call 715.344.0727.

But the point about this column isn’t so much about your equipment and installation.  It’s the considerations you should make when thinking about security for your business. Bad people strike when you least expect it.  They do dumb things, taking risks most people wouldn’t take.  They don’t consider the consequences. It’s why people seek us out to determine vulnerable points in your facility and the best way to protect them.

We found out later last week that two individuals were involved in the WAC incident. One distracted the individual at the front desk, while the other walked quickly behind him and down the hallway to the locker rooms, wearing clothes similar to those of the staff. They went to the back of the locker rooms and faced towards the entrance so they could see if anyone else was coming in. This occurred extremely early in the morning, when fewer people would be around to see what they were doing. They were in and out in four minutes. They knew what they were doing. Law and enforcement believes the perpetrators had familiarity with the facility.

What does that tell us? Be careful. Protect your valuables when you put them in a locker.   If you own or manage such a facility, make sure you have strategically-placed cameras. While law enforcement has not yet made an arrest, they will utilize the cameras, checking the timeframe for when the break-ins occurred, and use the captured video to identify the perpetrators.

We are here to help if you need to determine how best to protect your premises. Give us a call.