Parking garages are an urban necessity, but they do pose certain threats to people, cars, and businesses. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do if you own or manage a parking garage to deter criminals and keep everyone safe. Discover how to increase safety in your parking garage with these practices.
Brighter Lighting
It’s common sense that most criminals don’t want to attempt breaking into vehicles or mugging people in broad daylight. The reason parking garages can attract these behaviors is because they are secluded locations. Installing brighter lighting makes it easier to see what’s going on around you, and therefore makes it harder for criminals to work.
Security Cameras
Security cameras are important for increasing the safety in your parking garage for several reasons. First of all, it makes it much easier for you to see what’s going on in your garage at any one time. Because of this, people will feel safer using your garage, and criminals will be less likely to try anything when they know you’re watching.
Security Guards
While you don’t need to have someone patrolling your garage every second, having an attendant on call is very important. Having a security guard demonstrates your commitment to security to guests and criminals alike, with very different results. Guests can be confident that you’re watching them and their cars, making criminals more nervous in the process.
Emergency Call Boxes
One of the problems with parking garages that don’t have any attendants is that there’s no one around to rush to the scene of the crime when it happens. If you install emergency phone stations on each level, your guests will be able to call emergency response even if their phone is taken or damaged.
Automated Parking
Automated parking systems are safer than traditional garages, making them a popular alternative in urban locations. Because you no longer have to park your car yourself, there’s no need for public access to the stored cars. This means there’s no easy way for criminals to access vehicles, and there’s no longer a quiet, isolated location for them to accost people retrieving their vehicles.
If you’re the owner of a business with a parking garage, it’s up to you to make guests feel safe and to protect your business’s reputation. Thankfully, these tips can help you safeguard both vehicles and their owners.
