Earlier this year, a car dealership in British Columbia had seven cars and the keys to approximately 300 vehicles stolen from the lot. The theft happened early one Sunday morning and while security cameras caught the theft on video, the culprits wore masks and hoods, so police are still looking for information. 

The expected cost to replace the stolen vehicles and re-key the remaining inventory is estimated to be between $600,000 to $700,000. Not to mention the dealership will have to wait three to four months to get some cars keyed, which will result in additional carrying costs and lost sales. 

Crimes like these are devastating to businesses and many owners never even consider something like this could happen to them. But even if crimes of this severity are few and far between, you can be sure that if it happens to you, you will wish you had been better prepared. 

That’s why automotive dealerships need to invest in proper security systems and processes. 

The good news is that there are two important security systems you can put into place to reduce crimes at your dealership and reduce losses if a crime does occur. 

Managed access control 

Managed access control systems can be a valuable way to keep business assets safe. This can include securing high-value inventory and keys for vehicles on your lot and in your showroom. 

Managed access control uses access cards, badges or fobs to unlock doors that use electric locks without the need for a physical key. This technology allows you to restrict access to your most valuable rooms to authorized individuals only, while also giving you the ability to track who is in what room at what time. 

Managed access control is one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways for you to increase security at your dealership - ensuring criminals can’t access your property and making it impossible for staff members to get away with internal theft.

Verified alarm security 

There are a number of ways that car dealerships can protect their assets from crime, but none of these measures are more crucial than the installation of a verified security solution. 

Unlike conventional CCTV, which results in a shocking number of false alarms and are unlikely to stop criminals while they are in the act, verified security sends footage of a crime directly to a security specialist in a central monitoring station. These specialists are able to verify the alarm and, when the crime is real, alert police.

Since all criminal activity is verified, police respond to Sonitrol alarms on average in just 3.5 minutes. Want to know what it is for conventional CCTV? 45 minutes, or more! 

That’s more than enough time for a criminal to break into your car dealership, steal some car keys and make off with your highest-value vehicle. 

Since real-time updates are sent directly from security experts straight into the hands of the police with verified security, criminals are more likely to be caught red-handed before your business loses any money or assets. 

That’s how we have helped police apprehend a whopping 180,000 criminals since 1988. 

For more information on how Sonitrol Western Canada can protect your car dealership from crime through our verified security solutions, contact us today. Our team of security experts are ready to answer any questions you may have.