Written By: Brad Campbell | January 6, 2025
Smash-and-grab theft is a relentless threat for many types of businesses, with criminals targeting vulnerable storefronts and display cases for a quick, destructive payout.
While most businesses rely on traditional security measures like cameras and alarms, these only act as deterrents, rather than physically preventing theft. In recent years, criminals have become more emboldened than ever. They are even less inclined to pay attention to such deterrents, meaning many businesses effectively have no protection from smash-and-grabs.
Riot Glass high-security windows, however, offer a powerful first line of defense, creating a virtually impenetrable barrier against forced entry to mitigate the risks of smash-and-grab theft, after-hours burglary, looting, and more.
By securing windows, doors, and display cases with this highly impact-resistant security glazing, businesses can prevent costly break-ins, safeguarding not only their valuable merchandise but also their property against expensive, recurring damage.
Smash-and-grab theft involves forcefully breaking into a business establishment, or into display cases within a store, to steal valuable items within a short period of time. In these bold thefts, the thieves are not worried about making noise, setting off alarms, or, in many cases, even being seen.
In fact, we’ve increasingly seen brazen daytime smash-and-grab robberies on a dramatic scale, sometimes involving dozens of criminals in a coordinated attack (known colloquially as a “flash rob,” short for “flash robbery”). These large-scale smash-and-grabs are often orchestrated by organized retail crime groups, who have networks in place to facilitate the resale of stolen goods.
Organized retail thieves know that most retail stores lack the physical protection required to prevent forced entry and smash-and-grab theft, so all they do is cover their faces and hands, grab a hammer and a bag, and get to work.
While any retail store can be a potential target for a smash-and-grab, certain types of businesses are preferred targets because of the potential payouts for criminals.
Smash-and-grab theft can result in substantial financial losses for businesses. Not only are there costs associated with replacing stolen goods and fixing property damage, but there’s also the potential for lost revenue from business interruption and reputation damage.
Implementing robust physical security measures, including Riot Glass high-security windows for smash-and-grab protection, helps minimize these losses, reducing the potential impact on the company's bottom line.
For instance, if criminals try to break through a storefront protected by Riot Glass, they may be able to damage the security glazing, but they won’t be able to get through it. This means the store’s merchandise is safe and all they have to do is replace any damaged Riot Glass — there’s no need to repair the entire storefront. Plus, once criminals catch wind of the fact that a particular store is protected by Riot Glass, it’s much less likely to be a repeat target.
Smash-and-grab theft incidents often occur during operating hours, putting employees and customers at risk of physical harm from broken glass. By investing in Riot Glass’s virtually unbreakable high-security windows for smash-and-grab protection, businesses can mitigate the risks of glass-related injuries and sidestep liability problems.
There’s also a psychological aspect retailers have to worry about — a violent smash-and-grab can have a traumatic effect on employees and customers who are present at the time, potentially resulting in them not wanting to return to work or shop there again.
With Riot Glass, business owners can rest assured that any smash-and-grab attempt will be met with frustration, causing the criminals to move on and look for an easier target and mitigating the negative impacts on employees and customers.
The occurrence of a smash-and-grab theft incident can tarnish a business's reputation, as customers may perceive the establishment as unsafe or vulnerable after the theft. If word gets around that a business is a frequent target for such crimes, its reputation may be damaged even further, potentially resulting in lost business.
By proactively addressing security concerns, businesses can protect their brand’s image and maintain customer trust. Since Riot Glass prevents forced entry and deters criminals from repeatedly targeting a business, installing these high-security windows for smash-and-grab protection is an excellent way to ensure a strong reputation in the community, showing that your business prioritizes safety and security.
Riot Glass doesn’t just protect businesses against smash-and-grab theft. It also mitigates other common security threats that all types of businesses and commercial facilities face, including:
Any commercial property owner can benefit from the 24/7 security and peace of mind that Riot Glass provides — it’s not just for the high-risk businesses we mentioned earlier.
For example, any business located in a major city has the potential to be in the pathway of civil unrest that has the potential to turn into rioting and looting. Businesses in storm-prone regions also have to worry about post-storm looting.
When such incidents happen, business owners often have to rush at the last minute to board up their businesses and protect them from looting, but sometimes it’s too late.
Riot Glass is an excellent alternative to plywood board ups that more effectively secures businesses against rioting and looting, not to mention only requires one-time installation for always-there protection.
Installing Riot Glass high-security windows for smash-and-grab protection is one of the most cost-effective ways for businesses to prevent this increasingly common type of retail theft while also securing their properties against other threats.
Many Riot Glass solutions can be retrofitted on top of a business’s existing glass doors and windows, eliminating the need for expensive glass replacement using other comparable types of retail security glass.
When retrofitted, Riot Glass creates a protective barrier to forced entry over the existing glass, preventing the glass behind from breaking during break-in and smash-and-grab attempts.
If the Riot Glass itself gets damaged, it’s much more affordable to simply replace the damaged glazing sheet than it is to clean up and repair broken commercial glass doors and windows, not to mention there’s no need to board up the windows or otherwise disrupt business operations in the meantime.
Recent surveillance footage from a jewelry store in Sunnyvale, CA showed the moment when 20 (yes, 20!) smash-and-grab thieves entered the store, breaking into display cases and loading their bags with approximately $2M worth of merchandise before making their getaway.
In order to gain entry in this case, the thieves first smashed through one of the jewelry store’s glass entryway doors, reaching through to unlock and open the door from the inside. All of this was over in about 2 minutes.
This story is not an uncommon one, either. We constantly see similar surveillance footage and hear almost identical stories from retailers all over the country and even from abroad.
Now, imagine if this store’s doors had been reinforced with Riot Glass — the 20 criminals wouldn’t have been able to gain entry in the first place. Sure, the Riot Glass likely would have sustained some damage, but it would remain in place denying entry while the store’s display cases remained secure and untouched inside.
If this were the case, the surveillance footage would have looked a lot different. We probably would have seen the criminals hammering on the front door for a minute or two, but they would have left empty-handed, rather than with bags full of millions of dollars worth of stolen jewelry.
This case study highlights how using Riot Glass to protect storefront glass can have an outsized impact when it comes to protecting businesses like jewelry stores against smash-and-grabs and other crimes.
Smash-and-grab theft can leave businesses facing substantial financial losses, from the cost of replacing stolen goods to repairing shattered windows and dealing with lost revenue. Beyond these direct impacts, such incidents can also harm a business’s reputation and pose real safety and psychological risks to employees and customers.
Riot Glass high-security windows for smash-and-grab protection are designed to stop would-be intruders and thieves in their tracks, addressing these concerns head-on by physically preventing break-ins before they happen.
While a comprehensive security plan is essential, Riot Glass provides an unparalleled level of physical protection by actively keeping criminals out and safeguarding everyone inside.
Ready to explore how Riot Glass can secure your business against smash-and-grab threats? Our expert team is here to help — contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your needs and options.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
