Windows are the weakest link in the fight against burglaries

Solar Gard window films prevent robbers from gaining entry by breaking windows

Businesses are putting their buildings and merchandise at unnecessary risk, and increasing the chances of being burgled or suffering malicious damage to their property because their windows are unable to withstand the force of a ‘smash and grab' attack or vandalism.

According to figures from the British Home Office, an industrial, commercial or financial property is burgled every two minutes across the country. In one third of these incidents, intruders gained entry by breaking a window.

To make matters worse, members of the public are targeting banking and financial buildings as anger grows against the sector. This means that all businesses - but particularly those within financial districts - need to take a proactive stand against criminal activity before it happens if they are to avoid significant loss, damage and disruption to their operations. Peter Reece, UK Managing Director for Solar Gard, comments:  "Businesses may resist the idea of upgrading their windows - even when the UK government itself acknowledges the high incident of ‘smash and grab' burglaries. Perceived cost is an issue in the current economic climate, but there is also the issue of complacency - with many businesses simply refusing to admit that a theft or damage could happen on their premises."

Window film makes windows more difficult to shatter and holds the broken glass firmly within the window frame

Applying a window film such as Solar Gard Armorcoat offers a cost-effective and alternative to replacing existing windows with toughened glass - protecting against smash and grab attempts, criminal damage and flying shards of glass. It makes windows more difficult to shatter and holds the broken glass firmly within the window frame if it should break. This means that illegal access is much more difficult and less likely to occur.

Reece concludes: "To a thief, a broken window is an open door to the valuables locked inside. Your electronics, jewelry, merchandise and other costly possessions can all be gone in a matter of minutes after a criminal gains entry. Luckily, Armorcoat helps eliminate a burglar's easiest access route - a broken window. By making a window more difficult to shatter and holding the broken glass firmly within the window frame after breaking, illegal access and deliberate damage is much more difficult and less likely to occur."