Businesses have always faced a particular kind of security challenge: Windows. Having plenty of windows creates a sense of welcome and a way to display goods to prospective customers. Those same windows inevitably become a point of vulnerability in the security of a business. When all a burglar must do is break a window to gain entry for stealing money and merchandise, it’s only natural for business owners to wonder about options for making windows burglar proof.
Is a Bulletproof Window a Burglar Proof Window?
The answer to this question is “it depends” because there are too many factors at play to give a simple yes or no answer. In the same way that there’s no such thing as a 100% bulletproof window, there’s no such thing as a 100% burglar proof window. This is why the technical term in the industry is bullet-resistant windows. Any given bulletproof window is rated for protection against several rounds of bullets of a particular caliber, such as three rounds from a small handgun. But if someone keeps firing in the same spot with many rounds, eventually the bulletproof window will fail.
A window that can resist the impact of several bullets fired from a gun can also withstand the impact of a typical burglar trying to break the window. But if the criminal were determined and had the right tool, they could eventually break through the window. The good news is that most businesses don’t have to protect themselves against the worst-case threat, just the most likely threat.
Why Bulletproof Windows Work to Thwart Many Burglars
What burglars are looking for is the easiest and fastest way to get into a building to steal whatever they can find. Their success depends on speed to either avoid detection altogether or get in and get out before law enforcement can arrive. If a burglar decides the fastest way to gain entry to a business is by breaking a window, then that’s what they will try. But if the window glass they try to break is bulletproof, they will be surprised when the glass doesn’t break as expected. In most cases, the burglar will realize getting in won’t be so easy after all and will abandon the attempt rather than risk spending more time trying to figure out another way in.
This is what we mean by protecting yourself against the most likely threat rather than the worst-case threat because the worst-case threat is generally a rare occurrence. This same reasoning is why for most businesses, bulletproof windows offering Level 1 protection can withstand three rounds fired from a 9mm handgun as well as smaller handguns. The 9mm is by far the most common handgun used in all kinds of crime, which is why many businesses choose this type of bulletproof window. Upgrading to a Level 3 bulletproof window protects against several rounds fired from a .44 magnum handgun. It would also be effective against .357, 9mm, and smaller handguns.
Bulletproof windows offering protection against the most common handguns used by criminals are also going to serve as essentially burglar proof windows with enough impact resistance to thwart efforts at breaking a window to enter your business.
A Word of Caution About Window Film
When exploring bulletproof glass options for windows on the internet, you will undoubtedly come across all sorts of window film products touted as an easy way to bulletproof your windows. Don’t believe it. For any kind of window film to stop a bullet, the film itself would have to be quite thick, and the glass it is applied to would also have to be very thick, like at least a half-inch or a full inch. In fact, if you dig into the details of these so-called ballistic-rated films, you’ll discover that they can only work if you first replace the glass in your windows with extra-thick glass.
The important takeaway is that there is no quick-and-easy film you can apply to normal windows that will magically turn them into bulletproof or burglar proof windows. If it were that easy, we’d be in the window film business and not the bulletproof glass business!
Protective Products to Stop Bullets and Burglars
Creative Industries makes a wide range of products to help businesses protect themselves and their employees from bullets and burglars, including the following:
- Bullet Resistant Windows: We make more than a dozen different configurations of standard bulletproof windows serving a wide range of applications while still allowing for communication and transactions between customers and employees.
- Deal Trays: Deal tray products provide protection when employees need to pass small items back and forth in order to complete transactions.
- Drawers: Drawer products are what you’ve used at the drive-thru window of a bank. The employee extends the drawer so a customer can put things into it, then pulls the drawer in to complete the transaction, and extends the drawer out again to give the customer products, receipts, cash, and so on.
- Pass Thrus: Larger than drawers, these products are useful when employees and customers need to pass packages of various sizes back and forth.
- Talk Thrus: A variety of talk thrus can added to bullet resistant transparent barriers to facilitate verbal communication between employees and customers.
All the products listed above are manufactured to standard specifications, but we can also customize any of our products to meet specific design requirements for your business.
Let Creative Industries Give Your Business Peace of Mind
You want your business to be protected, which includes not only your money and merchandise but also the safety and security of your employees. The types of bullet resistant products we carry do exactly that. But many businesses don’t know what they need versus what some companies want to sell them.
At Creative Industries, our goal is to help you identify your security needs, then determine what products would best meet those needs to protect your business from the most likely threats you face. We also understand the importance of presenting solutions businesses can afford, which is why we always seek the optimal mix of protection and affordability. To us, that’s just good business, and we have a long list of satisfied clients to show for it. Ready to find out how Creative Industries can help your business achieve better safety, security, and peace of mind? Drop us a line through the Contact page of our website or call us directly at 800-776-2068 to get started!