NIOSH: Convenience stores lack precautions to deter robberies, prevent violence

Morgantown, WV – Despite robbery-related violence being the leading cause of death in the retail industry, many Texas convenience store owners fail to take precautions that could prevent robberies and protect workers from violence, according to a new NIOSH study.

Researchers examined a random sample of nearly 600 convenience stores in Dallas and Houston and found that less than 10 percent were in compliance with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design guidelines, even though 79 percent claimed to be in compliance.

The two precautions least likely to be taken by employers were posting warnings signs about security cameras and ensuring unobstructed views between the cash register and windows and doors. Researchers theorized that store owners may not institute such precautions because they believe it is more important to comply with other requirements, or they may place a greater value on advertisement signs rather than warning signs.

NIOSH researchers next plan to compare crime rates before and after convenience stores adopted the regulations to determine if those rules are effective.

The study was published in September in the journal Injury Prevention.