Need suggestions: retail business "panic" button

So my wife has had a pretty interesting week already with some very aggressive customers in the store. She's all alone most days. We've heard of remote panic buttons that when triggered alert the police. Anyone have any experience with any? A brand or service? What we have currently is Annke Site 24/7 cameras (four of them) that record and save every 24 hours, plus Blink surveillance cameras (four as well). The Annke cameras are always going. The Blink cameras are used with motion detection for when the store is closed. Neither company appears to offer any kind of alarm alert to the police department.

What say the Hive?

Thanks!

Program 911 into her phone on speed-dial?

Commercial monitored  alarm systems should have a feature. 
 

Medical alert systems (like elderly intercoms) have them, and voice activation to real human monitors who can send emergency response personnel. 

The medical alert systems usually have a necklace or bracelet emergency button. When activated, a human operator will respond through an intercom "Do you need assistance?"  You can simply talk back to the system from anywhere in the room. 
 

They could easily be used for this, and are not expensive for monthly service. 

The shop I worked at (way back in the day) had a hidden, doorbell-type panic button beneath the counter. I was told is operated a silent alarm that notified the police. I’m guessing it was tied into the alarm system. 

Note...

OSHA has regulations regarding occupational exposure to workplace violence.  Business owners are REQUIRED to make sure they have taken precautions to avoid workplace violence.  If you wife is being exposed to risk, it's an OSHA violation.

Are you the business owners?

SimpliSafe systems have a panic button that calls the police as I remember.

It's been a few years since I had one though

I used to visit a gas station occasionally in which there was a shotgun mounted on the wall behind the cashier.  More of customer calming device than a panic button.

Alarm system will have a panic button, question is who is getting the alert. I haven't had to deal with an alarm company for a long time (and they sucked), but I think the alert went through them first. They would call to check on you before notifying the police. When you need someone right away, I would think that would be slow and cumbersome. 

My vote is for 911 on speed dial. 

I only had to call the police once on someone who refused to leave my office after I told him I was calling them. I pushed the speaker button on the phone right in front of him, so he could hear me make the call, and the 911 operator could hear everything in the room. Also, those calls are recorded. He didn't hang around. 

First, I'm sorry you're having to look into this.

IIRC you guys have a boutique dog shop. I would have a very hard time wondering if my wife was in danger just trying to work in our store.. 

I would probably start by talking to neighboring businesses - to make them aware of the concern (and just to gain familiarity).

I would probably source some bear spray and or a handgun + training. Physical confrontation is not what anybody wants but being prepared is important. 

Perhaps add a monitor inside the door and a sign that says "smile, you're being recorded". 

Perhaps add a strobe light that gives the effect of an alarm, triggered by a simple switch on the counter. 

Unfortunately, unless the PD is literally right next door they are probably not going to be able to respond immediately.

Edit: one more. Familiarize yourselves with Trespass laws and don't just threaten to use them. 

On further reflection, the right dog. 

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

On further reflection, the right dog. 

A well trained German Shepherd makes an excellent  companion...

And bodyguard

I know iPhones at least have a function where if you hold one of the buttons long enough it pulls an emergency call screen.  Makes it easy to do it without being obvious.

 

1. Press and hold the side button and one of the volume buttons until the Emergency SOS slider appears.
2. Drag the Emergency Call slider to call emergency services. If you continue to hold down the side button and volume button, instead of dragging the slider, a countdown begins and an alert sounds. If you release the buttons after the countdown, your iPhone automatically calls emergency services.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208076#:~:text=Rapidly%20press%20the%20side%20(or,slider%20to%20call%20emergency%20services.

TRoglodyte said:

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

On further reflection, the right dog. 

A well trained German Shepherd makes an excellent  companion...

 

And bodyguard

 Kind of what I had in mind. That said, it's rare for me to see a German Shepherd that is a calm, confident dog. Almost every single one is going to be difficult for us to examine or treat in some way. Some of them are afraid of everything. 

 When I was a young adult we had a German shepherd that was the kind of dog I have in mind. She loved everyone she met and could go anywhere. 
I once put her on a stay on the sidewalk outside of a store, and went inside and went shopping. She was there waiting for me when I came out.

One time, and only one time, did she ever act aggressive, and then she went full psycho. Some guy had come to our door, asking about some guys that lived near us that I had grown up with. They all had their brushes with the law, and I hadn't seen any of them in years. The conversation ended up with him asking me if I could sell him drugs. I think he was actually a cop. The dog (who loved visitors) wanted to kill him the moment I opened the door.