When it comes to company security, one area is often overlooked – the parking area.
Company parking lots are even more vulnerable to security threats than the interior of your business. After all, they’re typically easy to access and offer plenty of potential targets.
With a few improvements to your parking area along with remote guarding, it’s easy to safeguard your employees and their vehicles.
Motion-Sensitive LED Lighting
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that 80% of crimes at retail locations and businesses occur in the parking lot. Sadly, many of these areas are dimly lit, making it easy for criminals to hide and surprise their victims. Plus, the shadows make it easier for them to break into and steal vehicles.
A simple way to improve company parking lot security is with motion-sensitive lighting. While the entire parking area should be well lit, businesses can go the extra mile by adding brighter motion-sensitive LED lights.
These keep the area around employees or even criminals brighter. This also makes it easier to check out any activity within a parking area on surveillance cameras.
24/7 Remote Guarding
While you’ll only need 24/7 remote guarding if cars come and go 24/7, remote guarding is a must have for any business’s parking area. Surveillance cameras only tell you what happened after the fact. Imagine if someone could see a suspect, call local law enforcement and have them arrested before they were able to steal a car or attack an employee.
This is how remote guarding works. One or more guards monitor your surveillance feed. For best results, make sure you’re using high-quality cameras. Using remoting guarding in conjunction with other company parking lot improvements helps ensure the safety of your employees as they come and go from work.
Reduce Blindspots
Remote guarding only works when the guards can actually see the area. Work to remove any major blindspots. For instance, large divider walls and columns provide great hiding places. Angle cameras to help cover as many blindspots as possible. Also, add extra lighting so criminals are less likely to even try to hide.
Make Surveillance Obvious And Hidden
This might sound a bit confusing, but criminals are determined. Some are deterred simply by the presence of a security camera. This is why you want some cameras to be obviously visible. You could even put up a sign that the premises are being remotely guarded and monitored.
The next step is to catch the determined criminal. These are the ones that study your camera placement and work to get around being seen. If cameras are strategically placed and hidden, criminals won’t notice, but they’ll still be seen by your remote guards.
Add On-Premises Guards
To make your parking areas even more secure, add on-premises guards too. These guards might limit access to employees and scheduled visitors. At the same time, they’re in place should something happen. Remote guards are able to notify the on-premises guards to check out suspicious situations.
Plus, it never hurts to have an extra set of trained eyes checking on things. Guards are able to patrol the area and even talk to the remote guards to ensure blindspots are covered.
Offer A Guard Call Center
Putting in small guard call boxes is a great way to let employees and visitors get a guard’s attention if they don’t feel safe. For instance, an employee might tap a button to ask the remote guard if it’s clear for them to walk to their vehicle. Or, if you have on-premises guards, the employee might ask for an escort, especially if they’re one of the last employees left.
Allow Remote Guards To Speak
Even when you use security cameras plus signs that state the area is being monitored, some criminals still think it’s all fake. While some businesses do use dummy cameras as a ruse, you definitely don’t want criminals thinking this is what you do.
Give remote guards the power to talk to any potential security threats. If they notice suspicious behavior, they can talk over a loudspeaker and ask the criminal to leave. It’s an extra way to deter any criminals who don’t think they’re actually being monitored.
Contact BOS Security
Is your parking area as secure as it should be? Contact our knowledgeable team today at 404-793-6965 to see how we can help.
Are there any other security issues on your business’s property? Try our free Security Needs Assessment to learn more.
Image: John Matychuk