Preparation is everything. If one day, your business happens to be unlucky enough to be robbed, knowing what to do is essential to help the police do their job better, and to bring swift justice to the perpetrator.

The Booksellers association has a list of tips which you, and your employees should know on how to conduct yourself after a robbery.

1. Call the police immediately, even if you have already activated the alarm. You want the fastest response time possible, and this is the best way to assure that.
2. Close the business and lock the door(s) if you have a key. Criminals sometimes return to the scene of the crime very soon after. Don’t make it easy for them.
3. Do not discuss the details of the robbery with witnesses or fellow employees. Don’t let what you experienced to be influenced by others. This may lead to inconsistent testimony later on.
4. Ask any witnesses to stay until police arrive. If they can’t, get their names, phone numbers and addresses.
5. Do not touch anything that the robber may have touched. Block off areas where the robber was, if necessary.
6. Try to recall as much as you can about the robber’s appearance, speech and mannerisms. Make notes.
7. Step outside the store when the police arrive so that they’ll know the robber is gone and you are safe.
8. Let the police answer inquiries from the news media. They know how much of the case to reveal.
9. Do not discuss the amount of money taken with anyone other than police.

No one is obviously going to look this up on the Internet after they get robbed, but learning what you can from this list, and putting as much as you can to practice will prepare you for something like this should it ever happen (touchwood) to you.