How to Improve Safety and Security in Your Local Parking Garage
Parking garages provide a convenient short-term vehicle storage solution for individuals in commercial and residential areas without private parking spaces. Security is required for these spaces to prevent problems like car theft, vandalism, and other situations vehicle owners may encounter. Here are tips to improve the safety and security of your local parking facility:
Ask for On-Site Security Staff
Ask your parking garage if they employ trained security guards to patrol the parking facility throughout the day to provide an immediate response to security threats. Security professionals are trained on safety measures, allowing them to identify suspicious individuals and take necessary actions against them. The security staff also oversee adherence to parking rules, which can prevent accidents. Drivers can also report security incidents to the on-site personnel, improving safety.
Utilize Surveillance Cameras
Install surveillance cameras with high resolution in individual parking spaces, entrances, payment kiosks, and other vulnerable areas that intruders may target. CCTVs act as a deterrent to intruders and also provide detailed images of suspects, enabling faster arrests. Surveillance cameras help make customers feel safer and comfortable leaving their cars in your garage. Designate security personnel to monitor live security footage to identify suspicious activity within or outside the parking garage faster.
Implement Controlled Access Measures
Restricting access to garages to staff and individuals parked on the premises eliminates the risk of entry by malicious individuals. Controlled access to parking garages also makes it easier to investigate incidents, as you know who was in the facility at the time of the incident. Key card systems, gates, mobile app-based entry for registered users, and barriers may help promote controlled access in parking garages. Modern parking facilities have implemented license recognition systems to help prevent access by unauthorized vehicles. Automated ticketing systems help maintain a correct record of all vehicles entering and exiting the parking facility. You can secure your facility’s pedestrian access points with card readers or keypads to only allow entry by designated users.
Upgrade Lighting Systems and Signage
Bright lights improve visibility in your parking facility, allowing surveillance cameras to capture clear live footage. It is also easier for your on-site security personnel to spot suspicious individuals lurking near the premises when they are well lit. Install bright, energy-efficient LED lighting on stairwells, elevators, entry and exit points, and dark corners where intruders may hide. Motion-activated lighting can also alert security guards when someone is nearby, making potential perpetrators more hesitant to act.
Clear signage helps people navigate the garage quickly and reduces the risk of accidents. Install signage directing users to exits, stairwells, elevators, emergency help stations, and security offices. Use simple language and universally recognized symbols to avoid confusion or misinterpretation. Including clear numbering and color-coded sections can help drivers remember where they parked. Also, install signs indicating that your facility is under security camera surveillance to reassure drivers of their safety and discourage intruders.
Schedule Regular Facility Maintenance
A well-maintained parking facility reduces the risk of accidental damage to your car and injuries. Repair cracks, potholes, and worn flooring to prevent falls or skids. Repaint markings on parking spaces and replace damaged directional signage to prevent vehicle collisions. Keep any vegetation or shrubbery near the garage trimmed low so intruders cannot hide behind it. Replace burnt-out lights promptly to maintain proper visibility for your surveillance cameras and customers.
Keep Your Parking Garage Safe and Secure
Parking facilities face a high risk of crime and accidents as they are accessible to many people. Professional parking management services have experience dealing with the security risks faced by local garages and can help you secure your facility. These professionals have on-site attendants who can park and retrieve your vehicle for you, to prevent unauthorized access. They also implement and maintain security systems in the parking facility to monitor safety for customers and parked cars. Work with parking management services to identify and address potential security issues at your parking garage.