Dark parking lot, bad parking security

Quick and Safe Tampa Parking Security Tips for Property Managers

Property and Facility Managers have an all-encompassing job; they must keep residents safe in their swimming pool, know which cars are coming through their front and rear gates, and be sure that residents and guests are safe in their parking areas. A tall order, to be sure– and luckily, there is help for all of these areas. Today, we’d like to talk specifically about Tampa parking security and how critical it is for a successful Property Manager.

Safe and secure parking is high on the priority list of renters, as this article from real estate website Bigger Pockets points out. Clearly, parking is a critical point in determining how long units will remain vacant and earning zero dollars for the community; solving any parking issues quickly and permanently will go a long way toward making residents happy and keeping retention numbers high.

Understand your Tampa parking security responsibilities

Dark parking lot, bad parking security As the Property Manager, it is important to assess how secure your parking security currently is– is your garage or lot well lit, free of hazards that can cause people to fall, and set up to deter criminals? Residents and building workers can be leery of parking in areas that do not have those attributes; and worse yet, one single incident can cause even more problems and more hesitation among possible tenants, for the community. People need to feel that they are safe and not vulnerable to criminal acts, and that their cars will be there when they get back. Luckily, there are simple solutions to handle any issues you might have, without busting this year’s budget.

In addition to tenant stresses, neglecting parking security can leave your community open to liability risks, lawsuits, insurance rate hikes, and even dings to your business reputation.  Parking security has received a lot of press lately, and for good reason. Government statistics show that over 10 percent of property crimes and more than 7 percent of violent crimes are committed in pagood parking securityrking lots. In fact, parking lots and garages have been seen in violent mass shootings as staging areas. There is much work to be done.

People who park in your garage or parking lot expect and deserve protection equivalent to that received within your building. This is true regardless if those individuals have paid to park. Your company or community is responsible for parking security in both instances, making it vital to continually strive to improve safety.  Which of these areas would you rather park in? The dully-lit one above, or the well-lit space to the right with the promise of surveillance cameras.

Commonsense solutions for parking security

If you have been tracking any incidents that occur in your parking areas, you will undoubtedly have some ideas about improvements. Regular property security surveys to ferret out any potential security gaps can help guide you to the proper conditions for optimal parking security. Additionally, a professional assessment will point out security risks that you may be overlooking. These can be areas of deferred maintenance, improper training of key personnel, failure to respond to incidents, a lack of security, or even conflicts in company policies.

Proper Maintenance: Criminals are apt to believe security is lax if there is no evidence of it, or if the area’s maintenance is sketchy. Keep parking lot cracks filled, paint touched up and trash cans empty.

Lighting: Criminals prefer the cover of darkness, so well-lit spaces are good deterrents. Bright lots and garages eliminate a lot of hiding places, and allow people to see their surroundings well. LED lighting is brighter and delivers white light at a cost savings.

Access Control: Limit who is allowed to park on your lot or in your
garage with gate access control or a parking attendant. You might use ID badges or card readers, or even biometric access control for the ultimate in parking security.

Surveillance Cameras: HD security cameras provide recordings of incidents and help with prosecution, and license plate cameras can be particularly useful in tracking criminals after a crime has occurred. However, with the addition of video analytics they can also be used to detect an event and send an alert for even greater safety; by monitoring your parking area according to rules that you establish, any deviance will send you an alert. Motion detection cameras, similarly, can be set up to turn on in the event of unexpected motion.

In Tampa, Securiteam can assess your risks and provide access control, LED lighting, surveillance cameras and video analytics to keep your community and your residents safe and secure. Call us at 813-909-7775, and expect a real person to answer with a smile!

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