Mitigating Commercial Property Liability and Crime in Outer Perimeters

The U.S. has between 700 million and 2 billion parking spaces, roughly 2.5 to 7 spaces for every registered vehicle on the road. That’s a lot of space for things to go wrong, and go wrong they do. From vehicle theft and vandalism to pedestrian accidents and personal injury claims, commercial parking lots face a wide range of risks.

In this blog post, we’ll explain why parking lots are so prone to crime and other risks and share five tips for improving parking lot security. 

Why Parking Lots Are Prime Spots for Crime and Injury

Valuable Targets

Criminals in parking lots are like kids in candy shops. One lot may have hundreds of vehicles sitting unattended for long stretches of time, many containing high-ticket items like electronics just waiting to be swiped. The cars themselves are also valuable targets. Catalytic converters, for example, can be resold for $50 to $250 each, with some hybrid vehicle converters fetching $800 or more.

High Traffic 

People enter and exit parking lots at all hours of the day. While that constant flow of activity does increase the chances of a wrongdoer being seen, it also makes suspicious behavior seem less suspicious. In a busy retail parking lot, a criminal scoping out vehicles can easily pass for an innocent shopper trying to remember where they parked.

Limited Security Surveillance

Commercial parking lots can span several acres or more, which makes them difficult to monitor with security personnel alone. Sure, guards can patrol the property, but they can only see what's happening in their immediate vicinity. Even on properties equipped with security cameras, suspicious activity could go unnoticed until someone reports an incident or reviews the footage. By then, the crime has been committed and the criminal is long gone.

Places to Hide

Parking lots are full of places to hide behind: large vehicles, large trees or shrubs, and structural columns, to name a few. Add poor lighting to the mix (which is a top safety concern in parking lots) and there's almost nothing stopping a thief from going unnoticed by pedestrians or security personnel.

Open Access 

Commercial parking lots generally have multiple entrances and exits to accommodate a steady flow of vehicles and pedestrians. Unfortunately, these access points also give criminals easy entry and escape routes. Lots with easy freeway access, several pedestrian entrances, or little perimeter control are among the locations most prone to car crime.

Liability Risks

Crime aside, a lot can go wrong in a parking lot. Pedestrians can get injured, cars can collide, runaway shopping carts can damage parked vehicles. Even when these incidents are accidental, property owners may face personal injury or property damage claims, especially if poor maintenance or unsafe conditions contributed to the incident.

How to Improve Parking Lot Security and Reduce Liability

Strengthen Perimeter Security

Start with your perimeter. You need visibility anywhere people and vehicles enter or exit your property. Fencing, gates, and other physical barriers can help restrict unauthorized access and direct traffic through designated areas. Mobile security units are especially useful at entry points and around property edges. Their size and visibility create an obvious security presence that discourages criminal activity. Some systems also offer automatic license plate recognition (LPR), which captures license plates as vehicles enter and exit and creates a searchable record that helps security teams identify vehicles of interest and investigate incidents.

Eliminate Blind Spots and Improve Visibility

A secure perimeter is a good start, but you need visibility of your entire lot, not just the edges. Large vehicles, stairwells, and poorly lit areas all offer perfect hiding spots for someone who doesn’t want to be seen. Security cameras can help you monitor these areas, but you’ve got to be intentional about where they’re installed and how they’re positioned. The best parking lot security camera systems offer versatile mounting options for properties of all shapes and sizes. Pole- or wall-mounted cameras may make sense in some areas, while others may be better suited for mobile security units that can be repositioned as needed.

And don't forget about lighting. The sun only shines for so many hours a day, and you don’t want your security feeds to go dark every time the sky does. Cameras with low-light or thermal imaging capabilities allow you to maintain visibility even when natural lighting is limited.

Identify and Address Physical Hazards

A pothole might seem like a minor maintenance issue…until someone trips over it and files a personal injury claim. Property owners have a responsibility to maintain reasonably safe conditions, and neglecting routine inspections can leave them exposed to costly liability claims. Regularly walk your property and look for cracked pavement, uneven walking surfaces, faded crosswalks, and damaged lighting. Address hazards promptly and maintain records of inspections and repairs. 

Use Automated Deterrence to Stop Crime

Spotting suspicious activity is important, but then what? If someone is attempting to break into a vehicle or trespassing after hours, you want to intervene immediately, not the next day.

The best parking lot security camera systems use AI-powered analytics to identify suspicious behavior like loitering and automatically trigger deterrents. Flashing lights can draw attention to the activity, while loudspeakers can issue warnings directing the individual to leave. LVT’s security systems can even deliver personalized warnings based on what someone is wearing or doing. You’d be surprised at how quickly a criminal flees when they’re addressed directly by blaring loudspeakers. 

Stretch Limited Resources With Remote Monitoring

Keeping security personnel on patrol around the clock gets expensive, especially across multiple locations. Most security teams have limited budgets, which means there's only so much manpower to go around. 

Remote access and monitoring of parking lot security cameras allow small teams to oversee multiple areas or properties from a central location. Look for a system with AI-powered alerts so your team doesn’t have to spend their shifts watching dozens of feeds hoping to catch something suspicious. Instead, the system automatically detects potential threats and alerts personnel, who can review the footage and decide whether they need to intervene. 

How LVT Supports Parking Lot Security

LVT (LiveView Technologies) helps businesses monitor parking areas and deter crime even in remote areas, across multiple properties, or with small teams. Our security systems offer features like LPR, low-light visibility, AI-powered deterrents and analytics, and more. And they’re incredibly effective. Parking lots that deploy LVT® Units have seen a 70% decrease in parking lot incidents, a 75% reduction in violence, and a 43% reduction in trespassing. 

To learn how LVT can strengthen parking lot security across your commercial property, schedule a demo today.