Thinking about how to develop a secure parking lot? Here’s what you need to consider.
A parking lot that is poorly designed is a vulnerable target. Whether that be assault, personal theft, or vandalism, designs that are lacking in the security department invite themselves to crimes of opportunity. While vulnerabilities are inevitable, there are certain practices and tools at the disposal of any facility manager to help create a safer environment for employees and visitors alike. If you’re looking for ideas to expand the safety of occupants, vehicles, and property within your parking lot, read on for these aspects any secure parking lot should entail.
1. Adequate Lighting
Not only is having enough lighting important, but the nature of your lighting choice matters, too. Hard lighting is often preferable and the more harsh your lighting is, the less likely it is that someone will get up to no good. Shadows not only makes aggressors less visible, but it also makes it more difficult for pedestrians or vehicles to traverse your parking structure safely. If you’re unsure of whether or not your lighting is enough to constitute a secure parking lot, look at the behavior of cars. People having to use their headlights or if people tend to take spots near what lighting there is often can indicate you need to rethink your lighting.
2. Regular Maintenance
An underlooked element of making for a secure parking lot, maintenance and upkeep are a big deal. If a garage is left dirty, for example, it may indicate to an aggressor that the area isn’t monitored heavily. Poorly maintained lots and garages signal a lack of care to criminals, which can invite all kinds of problems. Regularly trimming landscaping, cleaning up trash, emptying bins, and cleaning down surfaces can do some good preventative work.
3. Access Control Measures
Access control can come in a few forms. There are passive measures, like bollards, fences, or landscaping elements, but there are also active access control measures. This could be done by security staff actually controlling who can and can’t enter based on ID badging, driver camera scans, other safety scans, or window stickers and tags. Either way, creating a system that searches for the proper credentials can be essential in moderating who is able to enter a secure parking lot.
4. Better Surveillance
Some kinds of surveillance are all about catching something in the moment—whether this means a driver camera to check if someone is authorized to be there or an under vehicle scanner to see if there are any concerns regarding a specific vehicle. They can also be used to create documentation in the event of a theft, accident, or assault. Make sure you’ve got enough surveillance coverage for your secure parking lot.
Groundbreaking Technologies With Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper Security’s suite of intelligent optical technologies provides security personnel with the tool to detect today’s threats. Our systems help those in the energy, transportation, commercial, and government sectors protect their people and their valuables by detecting threats in time to take action. From automatic under vehicle inspection systems, automatic license plate reader systems, to on the move automatic vehicle occupant identifier, we offer full 360-degree vehicle scanning to ensure any threat is found. Throughout 30 countries around the globe, Gatekeeper Security’s technology is trusted to help protect critical infrastructure. Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn for updates about our technology and company.