Top 12 Parking Lot Security Tips to Ensure 100% Vehicle Protection

Parking Garage Security: 12 Super-Safe Parking Lot Security Tips

According to parking lot crime statistics, this type of commercial property is prone to acts of theft and vandalism. Therefore, as an owner, you should invest in top-notch parking garage security to reduce the risk of potential threats affecting the people’s and vehicles’ protection.

1.      Hire Parking Lot Security Guards

The best way to take your parking lot security to another level is to hire well-trained and professional security guards who will make sure nothing goes wrong on their watch. Since parking lots are open, public, and usually without proper monitoring, they are often magnets for criminal activities that could leave severe consequences to a property owner.

By hiring a top-notch security agency, you can reduce the risk of fights, disputes, and physical damages to the vehicles. Apart from keeping criminals out, security guards will make sure people feel safer when leaving their car with you.

2.      Hire Parking Lot Patrol

A mobile patrol is another efficient method for enhancing parking lot safety. Mobile patrol security will cover a much bigger area on patrols, which is ideal for larger parking lots that are open to the public and need more extensive coverage.

Mobile patrols can be quite beneficial for your business, especially since they provide a much faster response and prevent crime with a higher efficiency level. Depending on your needs and exposure levels, you may choose between armed and unarmed security.

3.      Have Security Guards Escort People To and From Their Vehicles

Another vital benefit of having security guards at your parking lot is the chance to provide people with more protection when entering or leaving their vehicles.

Have your security guards escort employees and visitors, especially in the dark, when it’s not recommended to walk alone, and avoid potential incidents that may occur.

4.      Understand Your Risks

Risk assessment is critical since it helps you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your security. That way, you can get a clearer image of what you should do to improve your parking lot security measures and what solutions are worth prioritizing.

Whenever performing risk assessment, consider every factor that could help you better understand the risks – look who comes and goes to the property (employees, vendors, customers, or just residents), and do the property’s layout to decide where to place security features.

5.      Invest in Good Lighting

Lighting is an affordable yet highly efficient parking lot protection. It may prevent wrongdoers from finding dark and shadowy places to hide while enhancing the overall property protection. However, it’s not just about setting the light, but also about picking the right amount and color of lighting. Choose lights that are neither too dim nor too bright, and make sure all the critical areas are adequately covered.

Another essential factor that impacts the lighting effect is light spacing. Ensure the lighting is not spaced too far to avoid the creation of shadowy areas but go for overlapping lights to minimize shadows.

6.      Don’t Put Too Much on Landscaping

Landscape design may look appealing, but it has its disadvantages when it comes to parking lot safety. Dense bushes, tall trees, and similar décor may provide excellent hiding spots to criminals and allow them to access your property with less effort. It doesn’t mean that you should avoid landscaping, but we suggest you go for a smart design that could deter criminals.

Make sure your décor doesn’t cover sidewalks or block critical views. Regular maintenance and trimming can help you keep your property clean and protected from potential break-ins.

7.      Practice Facility Maintenance

Keeping your property clean and functional will reduce the risk of criminal activities and allow you to catch the wrongdoers more easily. Poorly maintained areas provide criminals with more places to hide, increasing their chances to accomplish their goals.

Replace burnt-out lights, trim high bushes and trees, and repair damaged and wet surfaces that can cause slips and other severe injuries. All the corrections will increase the parking lot security and lower the risk of theft and vandalism.

8.      Consider Using Emergency Phones

Although we carry phones all the time, having emergency phones is a more convenient solution for improving parking garage safety. These phones allow you to pick up the handset or press the panic button to activate the alarm and direct security guards to the emergency.

It’s recommended to install one phone on each parking area floor to ensure the maximum security level.

9.      Install Live Video Monitoring

With adequate video surveillance, you can monitor all the activities in parking garages and stop the criminals before they do something. Make sure you place “area under video surveillance” signs to decrease the risk even more.

The best way to be completely sure that your parking lot is safe is by implementing remote video monitoring, which allows you to monitor your property wherever you are. Apart from watching the parking lot, video surveillance can deter dumpster diving, monitor safety hazards, and improve the companies’ workflow.

10.      Place Warning Signs

You cannot go wrong with placing the warning signs around your commercial parking lot. For example, “video surveillance” signs work as a perfect deterrent since criminals will rarely risk entering a secured property.

11.      Ensure the Signage is Clear

All the signs on your property should be clear and informative so that you can communicate with pedestrians, drivers, and even potential criminals. Make sure the messages are simple and understandable.

Use the signs to indicate where the emergency phones and panic buttons are and to help security guards act on time (mark exits, entrances, shortcuts, etc.). You should also encourage drivers to drive safely – utilize signs to tell what drivers should and shouldn’t do while in a parking lot.

12.      Install Security Gates

By installing security gates at entrances and exits, you add an extra layer of security to your parking lot. The gate would require a card or badge people can swipe to enter the property, preventing unauthorized access and theft attempts.

Vital Benefits of Having Security Guards Protect Your Commercial Parking Lot

Despite all the advantages of video surveillance and other technical devices, nothing can be as efficient as the power of the human eye. Even though most businesses don’t think much about parking lot security, the truth is that they should pay more attention to this critical concept.

Car crashes, injuries, and other dangers happen quite often in parking lots, bringing many financial and physical damages to the property owner. Therefore, you should consider advanced security measures to prevent these perils from happening.

Here are some vital benefits of hiring parking space guard patrols:

Security Guards Make Your Employees and Clients Feel Safer

The presence of security guards will provide your clients and employees with peace of mind. Clients will appreciate that you care for their safety, and employees will work more comfortably, knowing that a recognized security company is looking after their vehicles.

Security Guards Make Sure Everything is Under Control

All the parking lots come with particular sets of rules, and security guards ensure everyone follows them. For instance, they can stop someone from attempting to park in an accessible parking space (unless they are disabled) or in parking areas that are already reserved.

Guards Help Prevent Theft and Vandalism

Well-trained security guards will prevent any attempt of theft and vandalism in your parking lot. Guards will improve your property’s reputation by showing people how serious you take the security concept. Besides, no criminal would try to do anything when a guard is securing the lot.

Mobile Patrol Helps in Active Monitoring and Video Surveillance

Apart from providing active monitoring, professional security guards can monitor video surveillance, forbidding access to restricted areas, and checking the driver’s credentials.

Besides, security guards will take the security duties off your shoulders, helping you focus on your core business and goals you want to accomplish.