Parking lots aren’t the first thing to come to mind when you think about securing your property. But with employees, vendors and customers coming and going every day, it is important to make it safe.
That’s because parking lots can be attractive to criminals. This is because they are often secluded, and contain lots of valuable items from money left in cars to catalytic converters and tires. Large parking lots with areas that are far away or out of sight from your building are especially at risk, and so are parking lots at night.
So here are some ways to keep your employees and visitors safe, through better security of your company’s parking lot:
- Install good lighting
Poorly lit or unlit parking lots are attractive to criminals as it means they are much less likely to be seen committing a crime. So, the first thing you should do to eliminate crime in your parking areas is install or repair lights.
This will help deter crime and keep staff safe when leaving after hours, as they will be able to see where they are going. Criminals are less likely to commit acts of crime in areas where they are likely to be seen.
- Post signage
Even though we all try to use our common sense in every setting, life can get distracting. Post signage in your parking lot to remind visitors of parking lot safety and send out regular memos to staff.
Remind visitors and staff to lock their doors when leaving their vehicles. You can do everything to secure your parking lot, but if visitors leave their car doors unlocked there’s only so much you can do.
- Report suspicious activity
Make sure you encourage everyone to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. If suspicious activity is spotted, let authorities know. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Suspicious activity to watch out for includes people who:
- Stay in the same place in their cars for a long time
- Wander aimlessly
- Don’t appear to belong there
- Carry bags or look like they’re concealing objects
- Look into different cars or try handles
- Stop and examine cars
- Are doing business from their vehicle
- Hold regular training sessions for your employees
Set up training sessions for staff to remind them about parking lot safety and what suspicious activity looks like. This will help ensure that safety is top of mind and gives you an effective way to update staff on changes or new policies.
- Install verified security cameras
Install security cameras in your parking lot to catch criminals. But don’t just install any security system. The best system you can choose is verified security that is monitored at a central monitoring station.
If a crime occurs, professionals will verify and dispatch authorities. This will ensure a quick police response, help stop crimes before substantial damage has been done and increase apprehension instead of just giving you footage to review after the fact.
For more information on how verified security can keep your parking lot and business safe, contact Sonitrol Western Canada today.
