Signs Your Parking Lot Security Needs an Upgrade
Parking lot security isn’t always top of business owners’ lists when it comes to adding extra protection to physical premises. In fact, many times this is often forgotten about until an incident occurs and you’re fighting fires, trying to rectify any damage caused and bulk up security efforts.
But really, your parking lot needs to be safe and secure at all times, otherwise it’s costing you time, money and staff hours to ensure the coverage is there and issues don’t go unresolved.
Let’s take a look at a few signs your parking lot security efforts need to be upgraded.
There’s No Records of Use
You need to know exactly who is using your parking lot and when. You need a record of who is granted access when they arrive and leave. This matters much more than you might first realize. Because when things go wrong, i.e. there’s a hit-and-run, a theft or an access dispute, you’ll know exactly who was where and when. Without records, you’re at a loss.
Modern alpr systems log every vehicle that passes through them, giving you timestamped records without you needing to manually monitor everything.
Unauthorized Vehicles Are Taking Up Spaces
Sadly, this is a common issue for any business. People see an open, seemingly free lot and park there to go about their business to avoid paying to use other public parking lots. This means your staff and customers aren’t able to use the spaces you have available for them.
Stricter security methods here can work, and the right solution depends on the type of business you run.
If you have offices that only have select visitors and regular staff, then access codes work well here, as do physical security guards and barriers allowing access to legitimate vehicles.
For retail parking lots, having timed stays and notices warning of fines can be helpful, as can making people pay to park, and you refund this when they provide proof they shopped with you.
You Can’t Monitor Your System Remotely
If you have cameras that can only be monitored when on site, this means you need people there to review them constantly. Realistically, this isn’t practical for many businesses, and it’s an expense you can probably do without.
The fix here is to find systems that allow you to remotely monitor parking lot activity so you can log in and check on it when required, so you can see everything in real time without having to flick through footage to find what you need.
Incidents Take Too Long to Investigate
If you are finding you’re losing time investigating parking lot incidents, then you need an upgrade
The upgrade you need here is a system or workflow that allows you to pinpoint time details and any other data you need. This could be via overhauling how you organize your data or setting up cameras with tagging using searchable data that makes your life much easier. At a minimum, you need time and camera labelling. This gives you specific entry points when checking incidents, so you’re not scrolling through every second of footage.
