No matter what type of commercial property you have – multifamily residential, shopping center, office building, warehouse or auto dealership – your parking structure is probably a challenge to manage.
Just look at what was happening in these parking facilities:
In the first video, three individuals were seen wandering around an apartment parking pulling on car doors. They were able to access some of the vehicles. One of our trained security operators was watching and called police. Officers arrived and arrested the suspects.
In the next part of the video, a group of people were sneaking around a Kansas City auto dealership just before 1:00 a.m. A Stealth monitoring operator activated the on-site speaker warning and called police. The audible warning was successful in driving the suspects from the property.
In the final part of the video, we saw an individual roaming around in the parking garage attempting to access vehicles. He then pried open a door and walked into another building. Our security operator contacted police and gave them a full description of the suspect, including what he was wearing and what direction he was headed.
Parking Lot Security
Parking structures can become dangerous places, especially after the sun sets. A Bureau of Justice Statistics report says an estimated 1400 attacks a day take place in parking lots. The most frequent crimes are vandalism and theft. That’s understandable because there is a wide selection of unattended vehicles at a thief’s disposal.
The design of the parking lot and the time of day can impact crime. For example, pillars, walls and ramps can create visibility issues in a large parking garage. A flat, open parking lot provides great escape routes and better opportunities for a criminal to watch for security personnel. At night, witnesses become scarce when many office workers and other people vacate the premises.
To help mitigate risks, it might be wise to implement some operational measures. These can include:
- Enhancing the lighting for better driving and pedestrian visibility, but minimizing shadows
- Installing access control to manage vehicle and pedestrian traffic
- Maintaining the facility to deter crime and reduce accidents
- Installing panic buttons and emergency phones
- Installing a security system – but not just any solution will do
Remotely Monitored Video Surveillance
Simply installing security cameras in your parking facility often isn’t enough to stop determined criminals. If they see there is little to no response to suspicious behavior, like looking into car windows for example, then they know the cameras aren’t being monitored. Unwatched cameras can also give the people parking in your facility a false sense of security, meaning they might be more likely to let their guard down.
With remote video monitoring, security professionals watch live surveillance cameras to identify and help deter crime before it happens. The monitoring operators can cover multiple areas at the same time, from vantage points that aren’t always accessible to a guard or patrol. Greater visibility often means less crime. If they spot something unusual, they can act immediately, as you saw in the videos.
Protecting your parking lot from criminal activity is critical to keeping people and property safe. If you would like more information about live video monitoring for your multifamily residential, shopping center, auto dealership, office building or other type of commercial property, contact us.
