CalAtlantic Surveillance and Security Tips for Car Dealerships

On June 27, 2019 By admin

Tech website CNET has reported that in 2015, the total value of reported stolen property was more than $12 billion, according to the FBI.

Thieves and robbers are targeting not just homes, but business establishments as well. Stores carry not just cash, but also some rather valuable inventory and office equipment.

Security cameras are a great way to bolster existing security systems in place. Cameras strategically placed in and around your car dealership (or any other establishment, for that matter) protects your business, your employees, and your guests.

A well-placed camera can deter criminal elements, identify intruders, and even help you retrieve stolen goods after the unfortunate event of a robbery.

Why Are Car Dealerships Particularly Appealing To Thieves and Robbers?

Car dealerships, in particular, can be considered a priority target for more enterprising criminal elements. As such, dealerships and garages have some very important considerations when it comes to surveillance and security:

• The nature of their inventory—automobiles—are considered high-ticket items, ranging anywhere from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand dollars, depending on the make, model, and year.
• This inventory—all these cars—are mostly left outside in parking lots. Which means there’s several million dollars’ worth of product exposed to theft and the elements most of the time.
• Car dealerships are on relatively large lots, mostly to accommodate all the cars, some offices, a service garage, and other supporting structures.

Of course, this is all in addition to the other considerations of any other business—all manners of guests coming and going, employees working in shifts, and so on.

Where Should I Place Surveillance Cameras Around My Car Dealership or Garage?

To maximize the effectiveness of your security system, you have to think about where you should be placing your cameras.

Some of the initial items you must consider:

• Have there been thieves or robbers targeting your establishment or other businesses in your neighborhood in the last several months?
• Which parts of your dealership or garage would you think is the most likely target for thefts and robberies?
• Are there parts around your perimeter where criminal elements can easily gain entry or access?
• Are there organized car theft rings operating in your vicinity?
• What other security systems do you also have in place?

With all that in mind, you should be prioritizing areas which criminals are likely to use to gain entry or access.
For this reason, your cameras should cover the following areas:

1. Your front gate
2. The front door and back door of your car dealership
3. Each side of your building
4. Your grounds, particularly where the vehicles are parked for display
5. Storage and maintenance areas
6. Your interiors or office area

Contacting a security specialist will help you determine the optimum number of security cameras needed to cover your car dealership or vehicle garage.

You will want adequate coverage with the least amount of cameras needed, for as long as a person cannot move from one area to another without being seen or recorded.

What Other Tips Do You Have To Make The Most of My Security Cameras?

Here are a few more best practices to keep in mind when it comes to using security cameras to protect your car dealership or garage:

• Be sure not to miss outdoor areas of your lot. Make sure you get a good bit of the outlying spaces as well. Criminal elements can be loitering about, so you want to make sure you spot them ahead of the act.
• Keep your cameras out of reach. A height of 9 to 10 feet above ground is enough so that even a tall person can’t just easily reach and smash your camera, or worse, grab them as part of their haul.
• Keep your security cameras (at least some of them) visible. The mere presence of active security and surveillance cameras are enough to deter all but the most enterprising criminal elements.
• Make sure your outdoor cameras are placed in protective housings to keep them safe from extreme weather conditions and vandalism. Are your cameras waterproof? Can they give you good images even at night or when it’s raining hard?
• Different types of security cameras have different types of footages and coverage areas. But you can network these together to create a comprehensive surveillance system for your establishment.
• Security cameras work best as part of a more comprehensive system. So when you can, consider having an in-house security team, alarm systems, etc. as well.

Conclusion

Businesses must be vigilant at all times when it comes to protecting their establishment, their employees, as well as their guests.

Car dealerships and garages, however, have some very specific considerations when it comes to security and surveillance, mostly due to the numerous vehicles they have in their inventory and their care.

Video cameras are a great way to protect your car dealership or garage, and when used together with other security systems, can deter all but the most determined intruders breaking into your establishment.

CalAtlantic surveillance and security systems are top-of-the-line, and part of the company’s trademark approach to a comprehensive yet highly customized and integrated security solution for your business. For inquiries and more information, give the CalAtlantic team a call today at (877) 686-5859.