We wish you a very happy holiday season and a prosperous new year.

At this time of year, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our success possible. From all of us at Metro Alarm & Lock, thank you for the trust you place in us. Here’s to a prosperous 2019!

Seasonal Safety Reminders

For Businesses

• Never open or close alone.
• Be especially aware 30 minutes after opening and 30 minutes before closing — the times most suited for pilferage.
• Before closing, inspect restrooms, storage areas, etc., for anyone left behind or hiding.
• Control and monitor all back door openings.
• Restrict access to stockrooms. To reduce theft by employees, let stock clerks bring inventory to the retail floor.
• Review cash handling policies, procedures and expectations with your employees.
• Validate deposits daily and make sure deposits are taken to the bank before dark.
• Review daily sales information for excessive/suspicious voids, refunds, no sales, and over rings.
• Periodically remove extra cash from the registers and put into the safe.
• Never leave purses, iPads, iPhones, laptops, radios, calculators, and other small valuables in sight. Put them in a locked file drawer or cabinet.
• Leave the parking lot lights on all night during the holiday season or set timers at least one hour after employees are scheduled to be leaving.
• Check that all locks, alarms, cameras, and video recorders, are working properly and not blocked by holiday decorations.
• Inform your security company of any revised holiday hours.

When Shopping

• Never park in an unlit lot, no matter how convenient it is. Park near street lights and other people.
• Even when you’re preoccupied with a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings. If you see people loitering in parking garages, parking lots, and outside of stores, go the other way.
• Lock valuables in the trunk or hide out of site.
• Don’t get so overloaded with packages that you can’t easily unlock your car and have your keys in hand when you return to your car, so you can enter your vehicle quickly.
• Check the interior of your car before getting inside.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Pay for purchases with a check or credit card when possible. Be sure to put the receipt in your purse or wallet — never leave it in the bag.
• Don’t carry excess credit cards. Take only those cards for the stores where you intend to shop.
• Be extra careful with purses and wallets. Carry your purse under your arm. Keep your wallet in an inside jacket pocket, not you back pants pocket.

At Home

• Never leave lit candles unattended.
• Don’t leave holiday lights on overnight or when you are away.
• Use only fire resistant ornaments on your tree and don’t overload outlets.
• Inspect light strings for fraying and replace light strings that are not in good working order.
• Test your smoke detectors.
• Be wary of strangers that may come to the door asking for charitable donations. They may be taking advantage of people’s generosity during the holidays, or worse looking for a way to get inside your home. Instead, donate to charitable organizations you know.
• Don’t display gifts where they can be seen from a window or doorway.
• Avoid leaving boxes from expensive purchases (i.e. televisions, computers, etc.) on the curb for recycling pickup. Burglars look for clues like this. Cut the boxes up and place them inside a trash can, so they can’t be seen driving by.
• Write down the serial numbers of any expensive items (such as electronics) and put this information in a safe place.

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LARGER TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR EQUIPMENT.
New or used equipment placed into service before the end of the year may be eligible for a federal tax deduction of up to $1 million—nearly double last year’s $510,000. In addition, businesses can take a 100% bonus depreciation deduction on certain kinds of equipment — used as well as new — bought and placed in service after September 27, 2017 (up from 50%). Now might be a great time to update your security!