When it comes to your business, where do you think is the most likely setting for a crime? Your back door? Nope. Your windows? Think again. It is actually your parking lot!
Parking Lot Crime Statistics
Between 2004 and 2008, more than 10% of ALL property crimes occurred in parking lots or parking garages. In 2009, 6% of purse snatchings and pick-pocketings took place in parking lots or garages. Of crimes that occur at shopping centers, 80% occur in the parking lot or parking garage.
Whoa!
As a business owner, it is important to provide your customers or clients a safe place in which to park. And it all starts with parking lot design. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) emphasizes the proper design and effective use of a created environment to reduce crime. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), “the single most important CPTED security feature is lighting.”
Benefits of Parking Lot Security Lighting
The installation of well-designed security lighting can help reduce or even eliminate car break-ins, robberies, vandalism, and burglaries.
“Good lighting deters crime and produces a more secure atmosphere,” claims the DOJ report. “It is one of the few facility features that has been documented to reduce crime in parking facilities.”
Parking lot security lighting design aspects to consider:
- Illuminance: This is the intensity of light falling on a surface.
- Uniformity: What good is security lighting if there are still areas of darkness?
- Glare: Glare is a potential hazard for all drivers.
- And More!
The crime rate of a parking lot can be affected positively or negatively by its’ design.
Parking Lot Security Lighting from TriStar Electric
TriStar Electric has installed thousands of parking lot security lighting systems to keep our clients and their customers safe and secure. We offer an array of high-quality solutions, all of which are designed to withstand the elements.
If you currently have a parking lot security lighting system that needs to be upgraded, or replaced, TriStar Electric can help!
If you have any questions about Parking Lot Security Lighting, please contact TriStar Electric, Maryland’s premier residential and commercial electrician, by calling 410-799-5791 or 301-384-8880 or fill out the contact form on our website. Our electricians can provide you with a competitive quote that covers every stage of the process – from installation to final testing.
You can also follow TriStar Electric on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Sources:
Parking Lot Security, CrimeDoctor.com
Bureau of Justice Statistics, BJS.gov
Crime Prevention through Environmental Design in Parking Facilities, NCJRS.gov