Storefront crashes have become an epidemic around the country. But, for the most part, those crashes have been accidents via driver mishap or a pedal mistake. Either of which can be forgiven. 

However, there’s a new style of storefront crashes that is causing concern for business owners everywhere: smash and grab robberies. 

On average, a car weighs around 3,200 pounds. And when traveling at an accelerated rate, that automobile can become a skeleton key for just about any storefront, giving any individual the means to the pull off a smash and grab or “ram raid”. 

And, clearly, people are taking advantage of the option. 

Photo Credit: Mike Yoder/LJWorld.com

Here are just a couple of the latest smash and grab robberies that have taken place around the country: 

• Per The Mercury News, 8-10 burglars ransacked a “floor to ceiling glass front” Apple store in Palo Alto, California after suspects avoided bollard posts on the sidewalk by driving down the walkway and turning into the glass store window. This caused the store to be closed for a week to repair the damages. 
• Per Fox5 in DC, two suspects backed a car into the glass window of a jewelry exchange in Bethesda, Maryland, smashed glass cases, stole thousands in jewelry, and escaped on foot, all in the matter of 30 seconds. Luckily for the store owner, there was video evidence of the break in. 
• Per ABC13 in Houston, in less than 60 seconds, an individual backed a white pickup truck into a Quik Food Store multiple times before the glass and security bars completely gave way, allowing three men to run into the store and steal an ATM machine. 

Here’s a video of another Apple store being broken into in Temecula, California: 

As you can see, there are plenty of ways smash and grabs can take place. Whether it’s from a group effort to steal electronics from a high-end retailer or an ATM from a mini-mart, or an individual just looking to make off with a couple of thousand dollars in jewelry, it’s not extremely hard for burglars to pull off these types of robberies. 

But what if there were a way to make these incidents much harder to pull off? 

That’s where storefront crash protection bollards come into play. 

Made from schedule 40 and schedule 80 U.S. Steel pipe, Ideal Shield’s bollard posts are among the strongest on the market. But, as the report from Palo Alto showed, just having bollard posts is not enough to prevent storefront, smash and grab, accidents from happening. 

To prevent cars from even being able to reach the storefront, one of two things could be done: 

1. Section off the front of the store with bollard posts that prevent vehicles from being able to go anywhere near the sidewalk. However, this could be a problem for stores in most cities as it may be against city protocol to install bollards in the middle of the sidewalk.
2. Install industry-best bollard posts within a couple of feet of the storefront, which, as long as placed close enough together, should stop and deter any potential burglars from attempting a ram raid.

Here are a couple of examples of how Ideal Shield’s bollard posts and covers have been installed to prevent storefront crashes and smash and grab situations: 

Ideal Shield’s bollard covers in front of Mapco Mart.

Ideal Shield’s bollard covers in front of AutoZone.

Ideal Shield’s bollard covers protecting a Bank of America ATM.

Ideal Shield’s skyline decorative bollard covers in front of Kramar Jewelry

If you’re a business owner or facility manager, who is looking to protect your storefront from possible ram raid/smash and grab situations, contact us at Ideal Shield today. 

Our steel pipe bollards will help deter and protect your storefront while our wide array of plastic bollard covers will give the store a clean, professional look.

So, give us a call today at 866-825-8659 for more information on how our steel pipe bollards and bollard covers can team up to help keep your business protected.