As daylight shrinks in the fall, more of your store's hours happen in the dark. For convenience stores, especially those open late or around the clock, robbery risk rises with the darkness. Preparation protects your employees first — and your insurance record second.
What insurance covers in a robbery
- Crime coverage (money and securities) pays for cash taken from registers, safes and deposits in transit.
- Property coverage pays for physical damage and stolen merchandise.
- Workers' compensation covers employees injured during the robbery.
- General liability may respond if a customer is hurt and claims inadequate security — unless your policy excludes assault and battery.
Check the limits on each. Many base policies include only a few thousand dollars for cash.
Proven prevention steps
- Keep register cash low and use drop safes and time-delay safes.
- Post signs stating that employees can't open the safe.
- Keep windows clear of posters so the counter is visible from outside.
- Light the parking lot, pumps and entrance brightly.
- Use visible cameras and keep recordings long enough to preserve incidents.
- Consider bullet-resistant enclosures or window service overnight in high-risk areas.
Train employees
Teach every clerk to comply, stay calm, avoid sudden movements and never chase or fight. Their safety matters more than any amount of cash.
After a robbery
Make sure everyone is safe, call police, preserve video, write down details and report to your carrier promptly. Offer employees support; robberies are traumatic.
Good security practices also make your store more attractive to insurers. Talk to your agent about which controls earn the best terms.
This material is for general information only. Coverage depends on the actual policy language, and availability varies by carrier.