 This, man, you're sticking me up? You got it, man. Just open the till. Nobody gets hurt. No way, man. I worked with this money 10, 12 hours a day. You've got no right coming in. Shut up! Shut up and open the door. I said no, man. This is my money. Stop it. Stop being crazy. And no, no. I said no. You get nothing. I'll use this. Not a sign. I'll use this. I'll use this. Jim! Jim, run, call cops! Hello, I'm Detective Merle Carnar of the Library Prevention Unit of the Seattle Police Department. What you have just seen is a worst case scenario of a late night retail robbery. And what you have seen did not have to happen. To comply with the safety codes of the state of Washington, each retailer must have in place a formal accident prevention program. And part of that program deals with the late night workers' crime protection code. This code provides employees with the knowledge and skills needed to prevent or diffuse violent situations like the one you've just seen. Your personal safety and the safety of your co-workers and customers might someday depend on how carefully you listen to what we're talking about here. First thing we need to discuss are the steps you can take before you are victimized to help prevent violence or a robbery. Let's start with the appearance of the store. Fortunately, stores that are attractive to customers are usually unattractive to robbers. Remove clutter and signage that block windows. Give your establishment a fishbowl appearance with the cash registers in plain view through the windows so you can see out and passersby and police patrols can see in. And keep the front of the store free of merchandise displays a robber could hide behind. Keep the store and parking lot brightly lit, replacing burned out bulbs or fixtures immediately. Keep the shelves well stocked and the premises neat and clean with the aisles free of clutter or boxes. Familiarize yourself with possible hiding places outside the store, such as phone booths and dark corners. Take note of possible escape routes from the store. When you're working at night, if there are no customers in the store, get away from the sales counter and busy yourself by dusting, sweeping, or stocking shelves. A robbery is much more difficult if the victim is away from the till. When customers enter the store, make eye contact and greet them in a friendly manner. Ask them if they need your help finding anything. Customers appreciate this, robbers don't. Keep an eye on the parking lot in front of the store through those unobstructed windows. Look for anyone who may be watching this store or loitering nearby. If the phone booth in your lot invites loitering, you might want to ask the phone company to remove it. Keep a pair of binoculars with an easy reach, preset to focus on a license plate in the lot. Use those binoculars and jot down the license number of any suspicious vehicle. Police and emergency numbers should be posted by the phone along with the address of the store. In a moment of crisis, it's sometimes hard to remember these things. In any suspicious situation, don't hesitate to call 911, describe the situation, and ask for a police car to patrol the area. A large mirror mounted to show what is going on in the back of the store provides an excellent way to keep an eye on all corners of the premises. Statistics prove that the biggest deterrent of late night robberies is keeping a minimal amount of available cash on the premises and posting that fact in a prominent place. Signs like this should be posted both on the door and near the cash register. A maximum of $50 in fives, ones, and change is adequate for normal operations in most establishments. The fact that the safe has limited access should also be posted. As $10 and larger bills are received, use a time lock drop box or comparable limited access safe for them. And explain why you're doing so in the presence of the customers who negotiate those bills with you. Word gets around. After dark, use only one cash register. Empty registers should be left open with their cash drawers tilted upward. And above all, don't keep any weapons or firearms on the premises. Statistics show over and over again that your chances of avoiding violence during a robbery are much better if you do nothing to escalate the conflict. All these precautions greatly decrease the likelihood that your store will become a target for a late night robbery. Nevertheless, as we've seen, robberies still do happen. Let's see how careful preparation could have prevented the violence we witnessed earlier. Money in the till, man. Hand it over and nobody gets hurt to get that. The first thing to remember is that the robber is probably even more scared and nervous than you are. For whatever reason, he is a desperate person. In about half the cases, he has a drug habit and he needs those drugs. He doesn't want any trouble and he doesn't really want to hurt anybody. He just wants the money and then he wants to get away. Co-operate fully with him. Your life is worth a whole lot more than that $50 in the till. I understand. I need to get the behind the counter to the cash register. I'll walk very slowly, OK? No funny stuff. Don't make any sudden or unexpected moves. Don't argue, fight, or provide any resistance. In fact, you should try to treat the robbery as you would any other customer transaction. Courteously and professionally, getting this customer out of the store with what he came for as quickly and smoothly as possible. Come on, come on, move! Use positive words of agreement and reassuring body language. Move slowly and explain every move you're going to make and why. OK, I'll give you everything in the drawer. I just need to open it, OK? It's going to make a ringing noise when I hit this key, OK? Let the robber know in advance of any surprises. If there's anyone else on the premises, warn the robber of the possibility that someone might appear. With no alarms and no funny stuff. Right. There's a guy in the back room doing inventory. If he comes out, I'll handle it, and make sure he cooperates, OK? OK, stop stalling. The cash's moving. Right. I'm just going to press this button, and then I'm going to move way back. The money is inside. Yeah, go for it! At this point, give the robber plenty of free space to operate. No unexpected moves or resistance. No arguments or heroics. Again, be courteous and treat this customer in this transaction in the same manner you would treat any other. Don't try to stop or pursue the robber. Stay put. Don't follow me, and don't touch a phone for five minutes. You understand? George, is everything OK out there? I'll handle it. Jim, stay calm and stay back. Everything is under control here. Nobody's going to get hurt. Just stand still and do exactly as he tells you to. Everything's under control. No calls. Nobody's going to follow you. Everything's all right. Once you're sure the robber is gone, lock the door. Dude, lock the door. Be careful not to touch any evidence that might carry fingerprints and call the police. Yeah, this is George Herrera calling from the Deli Mard over 1219 Riverside Boulevard. We just got robbed at gunpoint. Stay on the line. Give the police all the particulars about who you are, where you are, and what the robber looked like. No, OK. Yeah, we locked the door. Caucasian male, maybe 6'1", late 20s, close crop dark hair, Levi's t-shirt, dark t-shirt, black leather jacket, on foot heading north. Some kind of handgun. OK, OK, we'll be waiting for you. I've got some bad news for you. We just got robbed out here. After contacting the authorities, call the manager or owner of your store and explain that there's been a robbery. The police will want to know every detail you can remember about your assailant. Clothing, accents, hair and eye color, age, height, weight, distinguishing marks or characteristics. What kind of weapon did he have? In which direction did he leave? By car, on foot? While you're waiting for help, write down everything you can remember about the robbery. If you've handled the situation according to these proven guidelines, your chances of avoiding violence and surviving an armed robbery are excellent. To make certain you're clear about the important details, let's briefly review what we've learned. First, make your store unattractive to robbers. Give your store a fishbowl appearance by removing clutter and signage that could block the windows. Keep the store and the parking lot brightly lit. Keep premises clean, uncluttered and well stocked. Keep an eye on what's going on outside the store and report anything suspicious to the police. When there are no customers in the store, busy yourself with other tasks away from the cash drawer. Make eye contact with customers entering the store and greet them in a friendly manner. Post emergency numbers in the store's address by the phone. A ceiling-mounted mirror helps you keep an eye on even the hidden corners of the store. Post signs that inform your customers you have a limited amount of cash on hand. Limit accessible cash to $50 or less in fives, ones, and change. Use only one register after dark, leaving unused registers open with empty cash drawers tilted up. And use a time access safe or drop box for bills larger than $5, depositing them as they're received. If you are robbed at gunpoint, stay calm, be courteous, and cooperative. Don't argue, don't fight, offer no resistance whatsoever, and never ever pull a weapon. Such actions only increase your chances of getting hurt or killed. Move slowly, explain each move to the assailant before you make it, and warn him of any possible surprises by customers or coworkers. Speak in a soothing and cooperative tone. Your life is worth a lot more than those few dollars in the till. Make no attempt to follow or chase the robber. Stay where you are until you're certain he has left the area. Then lock the doors and call the police immediately. Don't touch anything the robber has handled. Telephone your store manager or owner as soon as possible. Write down everything you can remember about the robber and the robbery, and don't open the door to anyone until the police arrive. Following these common-sense rules for late-night retail violence prevention can spell the difference between an unpleasant incident and a tragedy. Play it safe, play it calm, play it smart. We're concerned about your safety. What you have seen here covers the basics you need to know to prevent and deal with late-night retail robberies. If you haven't already done so, you should immediately incorporate these concepts into your store's formal safety and health program. If you need help, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industry stands ready to assist you. Your local police department is also available with additional information and advice. If you need help from any of us, don't hesitate to ask. Making your job easier and safer is the reason we're here. This program was developed by the State of Washington Department of Labor and Industries, Division of Industrial Safety and Health. It is one of the many programs the division has to offer employers and employees to help them establish a safe and helpful workplace. For further information about this subject, call your local Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Division of Industrial Safety and Health, Consultation Services.