With higher rates of homelessness, vagrancy, and property theft than in previous years, it has become even more critical than before for commercial properties, like shopping and retail centers, to put in place effective, layered security solutions to help protect against trespassing, vandalism, and other criminal or unwanted activity.
Left unchecked, these threats can not only cause direct damage to the property, but can also lead to potential loss of business, increased insurance premiums, and a tarnished reputation among customers.
Understanding the varied forms of vandalism and the motivations behind them is crucial. Vandalism can range from graffiti and broken windows to more severe damage- like arson and equipment theft. It not only results in physical damage but also impacts the perceived safety and image of a commercial property, leading to potential loss of tenants and business disruptions.
To combat these risks, a comprehensive, multilayered security approach is crucial. Effective solutions involve using a combination of physical, technological, and procedural strategies to create a robust defense. For instance, identifying weak points in a property’s perimeter, improving lighting, and utilizing surveillance cameras are all fundamental steps. Employing Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to manage the physical environment can also help deter criminal behavior.
The effectiveness of these measures is significantly enhanced when combined with professional security assessments and real-time monitoring solutions. This proactive approach helps ensure that incidents are addressed promptly, minimizing damage, and potentially avoiding the act altogether. In this Arrest of the Month video, Stealth security professionals spotted an individual accessing a California business’s secured and fenced-in storage area in broad daylight. See what happened next below:
Just before 5 p.m., Stealth security professionals observed an intruder on surveillance at the back of a California retail business storage area, loitering near the gate before slipping through under the fencing into a restricted area. Monitoring operators immediately contacted police dispatch to inform them of the activity in progress. Officers responded onsite quickly and made contact with the individual, arresting them, and removing them from the property without further incident.
Help Defend Your Shopping Center Against Suspicious and Unwelcome Activities
Community shopping centers and retail establishments, like other commercial venues, are often perceived as public spaces, despite being privately owned and operated. This perception makes them attractive to transients, individuals experiencing homelessness, and others looking for a “public” area to engage in illegal or undesirable activities. The risk escalates at night when businesses are closed, and the area is less populated.
Stealth’s proactive security solutions for shopping centers and retail environments are designed to help mitigate and deter issues such as loitering, transient presence, trespassing, theft, vandalism, and more. Instead of reacting to incidents after the fact and sifting through extensive security footage to identify culprits, our live video monitoring solution leverages analytics-driven, state-of-the-art security cameras combined with the expertise of trained security professionals. This enables us to monitor and respond to suspicious activities in real-time.
Additionally, our tailored security solutions offer the potential to reduce security-related expenses by up to 60% compared to conventional methods like guards. Interested in enhancing the security and safety of your shopping center? Contact us today for more information.
Texas Private Security License Number: B14187
California Alarm Operator License Number: ACO7876
Florida Alarm System Contractor I License Number: EF20001598
Tennessee Alarm Contracting Company License Number: 2294
Virginia Private Security Services Business License Number: 11-19499
Alabama Electronic Security License # 002116
Canada TSBC License: LEL0200704
