Parking Lot Security Cameras

Crime is prevalent when it comes to parking lots. The majority of all crimes that happen at retail stores and office buildings happen in the parking lot or parking garage. This is due to the number of hiding places, the vast size, and the fact that most people are coming and going, so there aren't a lot of witnesses around.

One way to help protect your parking lot is to install security cameras. When a would-be criminal sees a well-placed security camera in a parking lot, he or she will think twice about committing the crime, meaning you'll possibly see a reduction in vandalism and theft of store property. Also, the footage captured by these cameras can help aid law enforcement agencies in the event a crime is committed. Customers will see cameras as an important boost to your image. Cameras mean their shopping experience will be safe and secure and it means you care about them. That's a plus for any business. Of course, there's always the occasional parking lot accident and the potential for a liability case; that's another way a parking lot security camera could prove to come in handy.

Below, you'll find a few tips about installing security cameras in your parking lot:

1. Do you already have security in place? Maybe you have a security guard who patrols the parking lot, or some sort of alarm system. You'll want to place cameras in areas where the security options you already have in place are the weakest.

2. Are there certain areas in your parking lot that are particularly vulnerable to crime or accidents, maybe a hidden corner in a parking garage or a blind turn? These areas are ideal for placing security cameras.

3. Is your parking lot very busy at night? If so, you may want to consider a "night vision" or infrared security camera, which can basically see in the dark!

4. Do you have a parking garage or any other type of structure? These areas are often used as hiding places for those looking to commit crimes.

5. Make sure your cameras are placed at all exits and entrances so that you can see every car or person who leaves or enters your parking lot. This can really come in handy when law enforcement agencies are using footage to look for a suspect.

6. Make sure your cameras cover your parking lot from all angles. Cameras that are strategically placed amongst one another can maximize visibility.

Connecticut Schools to Get Security Cameras

Soon, in Madison, Connecticut, security cameras will be installed outside of the city's schools. The cameras are part of an effort to improve safety in the school system. The new safety plan has been a year-long effort from the school's safety team, which is made up of members of the local police department, fire department, directors of facilities, health and school administrators, and the town's engineer.

If everything goes as planned, the cameras will be up and running by fall. In an interview with the New Haven Register, Director of Administrative Services Arthur Sickle said, "The cameras are just another security measure. They weren't put there because of a specific issue. We are certainly hopeful that they'll be a deterrent. Not that there is a specific problem, but there is always an occasional incident."

The security cameras will be aimed at entrances and exits into school buildings, and in outdoor areas such as parking lots. None will be located inside the buildings. While all the cameras will be recording, not all of them will be monitored all of the time.

In addition to the cameras, the schools are putting a number of other safety measures in place. These include upgrading traffic signs, installing new school zone warning signs near all schools and posting speed bumps near a middle school and high school. They will also be establishing a reduced speed zone and using police enforcement in that area.