Beating the odds in location with high criminal activity
Imagine leaving work after a long day on the job and finding your car has been broken into, your personal property is missing, or worse, your car is not there at all. This is not a prank, because while you were working, someone trespassed on your employer’s property and stole it.
For the employees working in an industrial town in the greater St. Louis metro area, such scenarios are an unfortunate, but frequent, reality. According to City-Data.com, only 166 people call this particular area home as over 3,500 people arrive each day for work. The opportunity for employment is great as with other industrial and manufacturing areas around the country. However, the crime rate for this 4-mile area is high—far above the national average.
The dichotomy of the industrial area’s prosperity and the unsavory crime rate is something both business owners and employees must reconcile. A 2019 article in the Harvard Business Review shines a light on the correlation between an employee's sense of safety and business performance. Citing Google's Project Aristotle, which discovered that psychological safety was related to team effectiveness: when employees feel safe, retention of top talent goes up and in turn, creates a more skilled labor force that ultimately drives greater operational efficiency. Conversely, when employees feel their safety is at risk, they feel unappreciated and may begin to seek employment elsewhere.
The Challenge
Afton Chemical, a manufacturer of fuel and industrial additives that improve the performance of engine, machinery, and heavy equipment, operates a large facility in the greater St. Louis metro area. As a manufacturer of sensitive materials, the facility is heavily regulated and must comply with state, local, and federal mandates designed to protect environmental, community, and employee health. Employee safety is Afton Chemicals’ number one priority and their attendance to safety processes and procedures is a key performance indicator for their operations. For an industry where safety is critical for organizational success and preserving environmental sustainability, the risk of losing top talent or alternatively, employing an unskilled, disengagement workforce, is exponentially detrimental.
In 2016, the criminal activity of the local area had reached an all-time high and Afton Chemicals’ employees were feeling the brunt of this uptick. Even with significant investments and ongoing efforts to improve security and deter criminal activity, the area’s heightened crime presence was taking its toll on the employees. In order to tackle these challenges, Afton Chemical turned to its security partner, Allied Universal, to help find a sustainable solution that would increase the facility’s security to better mitigate their risk of theft.
The Solutions
Allied Universal was initially awarded the security contract with Afton Chemicals in 2011 after unsatisfactory and inconsistent service with a previous provider. Allied Universal’s management team immediately rectified the issue of poor service delivery. The 2016 reemergence of theft incidents demonstrated the value of the heightened customer service and superior account management of Allied Universal. As one of the largest privately-owned security companies in the world, Allied Universal has an expansive suite of services that includes industry-leading proprietary technology solutions, integration capabilities, and risk advisory and consulting services. Leveraging their internal risk analysis experts, Allied Universal conducted a threat assessment of the area and facility.
The investigation confirmed a systemic increase in criminal activity in the area. Interviews with area business owners and local law enforcement revealed perpetrators were canvassing all local businesses for opportunities. Burglaries were a near-daily occurrence in the area and car thefts, particularly during business hours, were the biggest issue.
Key components of the plan included improving the quality, as well as doubling the number of cameras. With enhanced zoom and motion capabilities, the new cameras significantly improved monitoring for the security team within the facility’s base station command center. The camera detail is incredibly granular and targeted – it can clearly read license plate details, for example.
With the cameras serving as a cost-effective security force multiplier, the management team also made a small increase to the facility’s security posture. They added a second roving patrol vehicle – one stationary to respond quickly and the other constantly patrolling the facility’s campus and perimeter. The facility now has a 24/7 monitoring solution that is able to fill voids, especially during operating hours when most of the thefts occurred.
What is most compelling is that these events are still occurring pervasively throughout the area. Reggie Maclin, Afton Chemicals’ Safety Director shared, “It’s eye-opening how effective Allied Universal’s solution continues to prove. Case and point, our security professionals, while on patrol, recently witnessed a theft in process in the rear parking lot of the facility adjacent to ours. Our team called 911 and contacted the neighboring business. But that’s the difference. The crime continues to be a big problem here, it’s just the area we are in, but with the combination of cameras and the presence of visible and consistent uniformed security, we have peace of mind, while working at Afton Chemical, that our property is safe. Allied Universal is a reliable partner, able to support our growing business, helping our employees feel safe at work, and always able to deliver as our needs change.”
About the Author: Glenn Smith is an Allied Universal Account Manager based in St. Louis. He is an experienced threat assessor with tenured investigative experience serving in previous roles as a Military Police Officer and ISO Auditor.
Sources:
- “Sauget, Illinois.” City-Data.com. Accessed November 27, 2019.
- Gottschalk, M. “If You Want Engaged Employees, Offer Them Stability.” Harvard Business Review, August 15, 2019.
- Duhigg, C. “What Google Learned from Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team.” The New York Times, February 25, 2016.
- “Sauget, Illinois.” City-Data.com. Access November 27, 2019.