Property managers and building owners should prepare for heightened security risks in the coming months, fueled by the election cycle and hectic holiday season.
A couple of familiar concerns will soon be top-of-mind:
- Buildings may experience increased foot traffic, providing a distraction for package pirates and potential bad actors.
- Political protests or demonstrations could make tenants concerned for their safety—or present risks of property damage and vandalism.
It’s a valuable time to get ahead of these risks to ensure the safety of your tenants and property, including investments that can optimize existing resources to enhance your security posture no matter what the future holds.
Identifying Security Risks in Buildings and Properties
Each property has a unique combination of environments that require special solutions to maximize safety for the diverse group of tenants and visitors:
- Recreational areas: Communal recreational and gathering areas like playgrounds, swimming pools, gyms, or reservable rooms and spaces can be prime locations for bad actors to target. In addition to creating a physical deterrence in these areas like locks or fences, it can help to add security cameras and motion sensor lights that maximize visibility.
- Parking lots: Tenant vehicles can be prime targets for vandalism or break-ins if there is a perceived lack of security in the parking lot. AI-powered surveillance solutions could track for unusual behavior—such as someone walking from vehicle to vehicle, or illegal parking, which could be a leading indicator to a crime—and proactively flag these behaviors to security teams.
- Lobbies and reception areas: Lobbies and reception areas are common entry points for buildings, and security investments in these areas have a strong impact. Access control solutions, security cameras, and even physical security guards in these areas help limit who can access the area and show potential bad actors that the building is being watched.
Of course, each of these areas needs to balance accessibility, convenience, and control. Tenants should feel empowered and comfortable in the space and use your facilities in ways that blend with their work or lifestyle—such as collaborating with colleagues and inviting friends over or conveniently accessing food delivery—but safety should take precedence.
Create a list of each environment in your building and note the potential security strengths and weaknesses. What are your current greatest security risks? What is a vulnerability that could be exploited in the coming months? Create your shortlist to develop a comprehensive security strategy.
5 Steps to Bolster Your Security Strategy
Many property managers have an opportunity to reconfigure their existing security systems to improve their impact. In some cases, new investments may be necessary to cover critical gaps; potentially enabling them to also consolidate investments or remove solutions to save money by using modern, AI-powered tools.
The following steps can provide an ongoing framework to assess your security needs and stay ahead of your community’s concerns:
1. Create a menu of options listing your current security tools and resources.
Document which security resources you currently employ or deploy and what benefits each solution provides. Consider the pros and cons of each solution, such as how physical security guards may provide limited coverage for a high cost if expected to patrol large areas, or how specific video surveillance solutions may be limited to reactive security measures or simple evidence gathering.
2. Speak with tenants and staff to understand their perception of safety.
An effective strategy should address your tenants’ and team members’ immediate concerns first and then expand to cover additional areas. Survey your tenants or hold 1:1 conversations to broadly discuss their perception of safety in the building, how satisfied they are with your current approach, and whether they have feedback that can help you prioritize investments.
Host an open community discussion by providing a meal or snack for attendees and communicating your goal to improve their safety. Or, you can share a survey through email using a free or paid survey solution like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms. Tenants who are especially concerned about safety will likely respond and will appreciate you considering their input when planning.
3. Consider new investments to augment your existing coverage.
Based on your current security ecosystem and the concerns raised by your tenants, look into augmenting or replacing your existing solutions to directly address the modern threat landscape.
AI-based video surveillance, for example, could augment existing security cameras, but it’s crucial to understand the benefits and risks. In some cases, you can greatly improve safety through smart security system integrations that require minimal lift for a noticeable improvement.
4. Prioritize entry and exit points.
It is especially effective to focus investments in areas that all tenants and guests must filter through, including the main entrance and any additional entry points. Investing in an overt security presence at these entrances can be effective for deterring potential crime—people are less likely to target a location they know is monitored—and focus evidence gathering to help successfully pursue bad actors if an incident occurs.
5. Communicate with tenants.
Tenants should understand how your team is prioritizing their safety and what systems you have in place. While you do not need to reveal every component of your strategy, it’s helpful to explain what technology you use and how it helps. Help them understand why it’s being implemented and how it benefits them. Invite questions so you can dispel any misconceptions or identify new areas you can prioritize.
Overt Security Helps Deter and Detect Crime
Establishing a clear security presence on your property can be effective for stopping crime from happening at all. Identify the current gaps in your strategy or weak spots that are being exploited to drive an immediate, noticeable improvement.
The best strategies blend technology with human expertise to maximize on-the-ground coverage at any time and in any condition. If an incident does occur, analyze the situation to understand how it could have been avoided.
Partner with local law enforcement and nearby businesses to continually evolve your approach—preserving safety in your community and stopping bad actors for good.
