Parking lot security is vital to the success of your business. Remote access to your video footage helps keep your property safe.
When Danny Ocean and his crew set out to rob three Las Vegas casinos in Ocean’s Eleven, they knew they were up against the most state-of-the-art surveillance systems.
Their every move monitored 24/7 by numerous cameras and video feeds all transmitted to a central room that served as the hub where dozens of eyeballs kept diligent watch.
It’s a scene that often comes to mind when we think of modern security systems but with today’s technologies, you don’t necessarily need a casino type of bankroll and an army of guards at the ready to have top-notch deterrence.
And perhaps no place is it more vital than when it comes to parking lot security. According to the Department of Justice numbers, parking lots are the third most common place where crimes occur with 1,400 violent crimes committed each day. They provide a vast variety of challenges that together create a hotbed of opportunity for criminals. Parking lots can cover a large amount of real estate, not to mention many of them are built with poorly lit areas and inadequate sight lines. The fact that they can often be high traffic areas makes them both a blessing and a curse. A populated commercial parking lot means more business for retailers, but it also translates into more crowds, vehicles, and congestion which can be difficult to keep tabs on.
It's a growing challenge that many businesses struggle to keep up with. While most businesses would love to have a dedicated security team on-property monitoring parking lots around the clock that is ready to mobilize at the hint of any potential Danny Oceans, it isn’t always feasible or realistic.
That doesn’t mean that reliable and sophisticated security is out of reach. When people think about surveillance, the first thought that comes to mind is that more is better. And while in many cases that can be true, one of the most important maxims when it comes to business is to maximize efficiencies. Remote access can help do exactly that by doing more with less.
With mobile units offering the ability to record and provide real time surveillance remotely and from any smart device, it can help bridge the gap and provide a deeper and more robust level of security in the following ways:
With security units so compact, self-contained, and mobile, they can be dispatched anywhere. Multiple units can be easily integrated, ensuring that you have complete coverage over an entire parking lot with room to scale. Remote access features can save on costs and personnel by eliminating the need for a dedicated team of eyes constantly monitoring cameras in real time. It also reduces the need for live patrols.
Each camera angle can be sent to your mobile device in real time so that you can monitor all the camera feeds at one time from any authorized smart device or laptop from anywhere in the world. Furthermore, you have complete control of the cameras by panning, tilting, or zooming all from your device to get the best image possible.
The purpose of a surveillance system is to raise an alarm or awareness whenever something seems off or out of the ordinary. Sometimes that can result in clear cut threats, while other instances might be deemed false alarms, and some other situations can be a lot more ambiguous. When cameras identify potential threats, they can send a notification of the disturbance. Once alerted, authorized users can log in, survey, and determine whether it warrants further attention or action. This ensures that false alarms are quickly filtered out and dismissed while the more credible threats are tended to.
Being able to quickly identify situations that require more urgent assistance or intervention can be the key to deterrence, prevention, and in some cases, life and death. In emergency situations time is of the essence, remote viewing gives you the ability to access areas quickly to identify what is happening. The instant ability to monitor in the moment, wherever you are, can allow businesses to react accordingly whether it means dispatching someone to intervene or alerting authorities or emergency medical personnel during incidents.
The presence of cameras can not only alter the behaviors of potential criminals and visitors, but it can also alter behaviors of employees for the better. In a study conducted by Professor Lamar Pierce from Washington University’s Olin Business School, he looked at the impact of digital monitoring on employee behaviors. What he found was that employee theft went down but also that employee productivity and overall sales went up.
While some employees may feel “big brother” is watching with a critical eye, it can also be a valuable tool for employers to help their employees feel supported. Remote playback allows businesses the opportunity to see real time situations play out and fill in gaps in training where employees may be lacking. This can be particularly useful for retailers, but it can be valuable when it comes to parking lot personnel from security guards to maintenance workers to valets.
In some instances, having a remote-monitored surveillance system onsite can lower your insurance premium depending on your insurance provider. Some will see this favorably as an extra measure to protect your business which can potentially provide some financial savings, so it is worth exploring.
Perhaps even more important is that with remote access and recording, you can protect yourself from litigation that may occur from any accidents, altercations, or disputes. With an increasingly litigious environment, having real-time and playback options allow you to corroborate and make sense of differing accounts of events or provide proof to authorities or insurance companies to file claims.
When it comes to parking lot security, nothing is more important than having the peace of mind that the lot is being watched and protected. Mobile access and remote viewing are making a huge impact in bridging time and space by allowing users to still monitor areas onsite or anywhere in the world. It can cut costs but still provide top notch protection, deterrence, and awareness and increase efficiencies across the board.
Whether in real-time or playback, it’s clear to see that remote viewing and mobile access are game changers when it comes to mobile security units and protecting your business interests.
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