Research, Training, Equipment
For more than a quarter of a century, 7-Eleven has worked to reduce robberies. In 1975, the company conducted the first of several studies to learn why robbers target certain retail operations. Researchers took robbery-deterrence advice from former convicted criminals and developed a unique store employee training program, which was implemented at 60 7-Eleven stores in Southern California. Employees in the 60 stores were taught how to deter robberies, reduce the amount of cash in the register and remove signage from store windows so activities in the stores were more visible from outside.

The results were surprising -- a 30 percent decrease in robberies in the 60 test stores – and the message was clear: Robbers steal for cash, and if stores reduce their cash availability and publicize that fact, they can deter robberies.

In the early ‘80s, 7-Eleven again interviewed convicted armed robbers. The survey found that robbers still looked for the same things prior to a robbery -- cash availability and visibility into and out of the store.

In the mid-90s, 7-Eleven sponsored a third study of convicted armed robbers. The two top considerations prior to a robbery were the amount of money available and escape routes.

Training - Operation Alert
7-Eleven corporate store managers, their staffs and franchisees receive extensive training in maintaining store security and deterring potential crimes and violence through proprietary program called "Operation Alert." Training includes security procedures, proper store maintenance, violence avoidance and what to do in case of a robbery or a potentially violent encounter.

Corporate store employees participate in a multi-media training process and are supplied with comprehensive resource materials for crime deterrence and violence avoidance. The same training materials are made available to 7-Eleven franchisees, who train their own store personnel. Franchisees and corporate store personnel also are trained to report crimes efficiently should incidents occur.

Cash Control

• Research done with armed robbers indicates that keeping less than $50 in the cash register deters 80 percent of potential robbers. 
• 7-Eleven stores keep less than $50 ($30 at night) in the cash register. 
• All 7-Eleven stores use the Tidel time-delay cash-control system, which dispenses cash in small amounts in two- to 10-minute intervals. 
• Signs in the stores notify would-be robbers that less than $30 is kept in the cash register after dark and that the clerk cannot open the safe.

Tidel Cash Controller
7-Eleven stores use a Timed Access Cash Controller (TACC) for handling and securing store receipts. The TACC, produced by Tidel Systems, improves store clerks' money-handling techniques by enabling them to decrease the amount of money that is kept in the cash register. The TACC operates on an electronic timed-delay basis, allowing the amount of cash dispensed and the waiting time to vary in order to meet the cash requirements of the store and its customers.

Closed-Circuit TV Surveillance Camera Systems
7-Eleven has invested millions of dollars in a high-resolution, surveillance-camera system, including 24-hour, closed-circuit video cameras with audio capabilities; color monitors mounted in view of customers; black-and-white monitors in the back rooms; and alarm systems equipped with fixed- and remote-activator devices.

Facts

• The robbery rate at 7-Eleven stores has decreased by 71 percent since 7-Eleven stores' robbery-deterrence program was implemented in 1976. 
• If the available cash in stores is less than $50, it will deter 80 percent of robbers, according to a survey of convicted robbers. 
• The average loss per robbery incident in a company-operated 7-Eleven store is approximately $37. 
• The National Crime Prevention Council has recognized 7-Eleven as a leader among retailers in crime deterrence and employee and customer safety. 
• 7-Eleven shares its robbery-deterrence program with others. The program has been adopted by the National Crime Prevention Institute at the University of Louisville and is taught to law enforcement officers throughout North America. In addition, the states of Maryland and Washington and municipalities in Canada, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida and Tennessee have recommended this as a training program for small business operators. 
• 7-Eleven is recognized in the convenience store industry and by many law enforcement agencies as the first major retailer to institute a formal crime-deterrence program nationwide.