Parking lot security plays a critical role in deterring crime, enhancing customer safety, and influencing whether people choose to return to your business.
It was an overly warm day in June and I was sitting in my air-conditioned car checking over my receipt from the thrift store when I saw it: a nondescript man going up to a car, testing the handle, then moving on when the door didn’t open. He stopped at another car and repeated the action, again without success.
I froze. This guy wasn’t exactly mugging someone. He hadn’t actually broken into a car. But he was clearly up to no good.
What was I supposed to do? Calling the police seemed like overkill, and chances were that he’d be long gone before they even arrived. I finally settled on calling the store as I stayed in the safety of my locked car. But even with the employee promising they would look into it right away, I couldn’t bring myself to return to that particular location for some time.
Parking lot security is both difficult and crucial. For better or worse, it can significantly impact customer retention, criminal activity, and overall feelings of safety.
Parking lots serve the basic, but essential, function of giving people a place to park when they visit a specific location. Because of the often unrestricted, open, and simple nature of these parking spaces, they are easy to access and difficult to secure.
As shown by my reluctance to return to that particular store after seeing an individual trying to enter cars, parking lot security issues can have a big impact on customer retention. The parking lot is both the first and the last impression customers have of retail spaces. It sets the tone for the experience with the business and can seriously color how we view that experience after the fact.
It’s not just the customers who notice the security measures, however. Bad actors also take into account the security—just in the opposite way. The Loss Research and Prevention Council describes the deterring effect of security measures as the See-Get-Fear model: For effective deterrence to take place, would-be criminals have to see the security measure, get that it’s there to catch them if they commit a criminal act, and fear the consequence if they are caught.
While it won’t stop every crime, visible security measures like mobile security units have been proven to reduce crimes like burglaries up to 54%.
Decreases in parking lot crime are sorely needed. According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer, parking lots and similar parking areas are the second most common area for larceny-theft incidents, with more than a half a million incidents occurring in parking spaces in 2023 alone. It’s also the third most common area for many types of property offenses and violent crimes, including motor vehicle theft, aggravated assault, robbery, and even homicide.
The best parking lot security measures are those that deter crime, increase feelings of safety, and create a secure environment without interfering with a parking lot’s need for open access and flexibility. These measures can range anywhere from regular maintenance to AI-enhanced mobile security units.
Keeping a storefront and parking area properly maintained isn’t just about creating a good first impression on those coming to visit the business; it also creates a safer environment. Well maintained grounds create cleaner sightlines, making it harder for wrong-doers to hide. In addition, clear lines and directions can make all the difference when it comes to order and safety.
One of the most effective security measures at night hours is one of the simplest: bright lighting.
In a recent survey from LiveView Technologies® (LVT), nearly 70 percent of women identified poor lighting as their top parking lot safety concern. Good lighting makes it more difficult for criminals to hide while also making it easier to spot potential security concerns.
In addition to making people feel safer at night, lighting can also be used to scare off wrong-doers, such as when mobile security units use flashing lights and floodlights as an immediate response to trouble.
Since there’s no reasonable way to lock down access to parking lots for everyday businesses, security cameras offer an efficient way to keep watch over the parking lot and those who use it.
There are several camera types, each with their own strengths:
Gone are the days where security cameras just sat there recording footage that could only be retrieved long after the perpetrator fled the scene (and even once you had the footage, it had to be painstakingly watched to find the frames you were looking for). These days, security cameras come with incredibly advanced features that allow you to take a much more proactive approach.
Advanced camera features for parking lot security include:
Mobile security units, like the LVT® Unit, give you all the benefits of security cameras with advanced features with a distinct advantage: flexibility. These units are equipped with solar panels, camera pole mounts, and wheels, allowing to you place them in any outdoor location without the need for preexisting infrastructure. Using a cellular connection, LVT Units use remote monitoring to allow you to watch over your property at any time from any place.
You can even equip your units with loudspeakers and lights to immediately respond to issues, scaring off bad actors and cutting unwanted behavior short. LVT Units take this a step further for employees with the SafeNow capability, which allows employees to activate LVT Units from their phones should a security issue arise.
Posted signs are a simple yet effective way to point out security measures and the consequences of unwanted behaviors. This integrates with all aspects of the See-Get-Fear model of crime deterrence, and also helps reinforce to everyone else that your business takes security seriously, protecting both the people in the parking lots and the property that passes through.
Need to increase your parking lot security? LVT’s mobile security units are the perfect solution, providing an obvious deterrent to wrongdoers and giving you the tools to take immediate action should the need arise. Contact LVT for a demonstration today.
