Do Parking Garages Have Cameras?
Security Cameras in Parking Garages
Parking garages are common crime scenes. There are many reasons why. First of all, they are typically quite large, which means it’s tough to see what’s going on in the entire garage at all times.
They may also have poor lighting and many places to hide. This gives criminals places to work or wait for an opportunity. Finally, many parking garages are sparsely populated, meaning there aren’t very many people around. This increases the likelihood of crime occurring.
The answer to “do parking garages have cameras?” is that, yes, in many cases they do. However, the types of cameras, how much of the lot they cover, and whether they are monitored will vary greatly.
Why Crimes Happen in Parking Garages
As mentioned, parking garages are common targets for criminals. That’s because the conditions in a parking garage are nearly perfect for crime. There usually aren’t many people in a garage, the lighting isn’t great, and most garages are very large, so it’s hard for cameras or security guards to see everything that’s going on.
Plus, garages contain many valuables. The most obvious is the various cars parked in the garage. These are targets for criminals to either rob or steal outright. Plus, the likelihood of muggings and criminal violence is high in many garages as well.
Parking garages also have many places for criminals to hide, such as in between cars, behind pillars, around corners, inside stairwells, or in areas that are not well-lit.
In short, crimes happen in parking garages because they’re easy places for criminals to work while being difficult for security to protect.
By asking “do parking garages have cameras?” and adding cameras as needed, businesses and property owners try to keep garages safe.
How Security Cameras in Parking Garages Help
Security cameras try to solve some of the biggest issues with parking garages: that it’s difficult to see what’s going on and that criminals have places to hide. By installing cameras around a garage, it becomes easier to monitor the property. Criminals are unlikely to try to hide or commit a crime near a surveillance camera.
Do Parking Garages Have Cameras?
It really depends on the individual property. Most larger garages will have some sort of video surveillance, but it may not cover the entire property and the cameras may or may not be monitored.
Do Surveillance Cameras Deter Crime?
Another common question is “Do security cameras in parking garages deter crime?” The answer depends on the situation you’re looking at. As mentioned, criminals are much less likely to commit a crime when there is a camera nearby. Criminals clearly do not want to be caught in the act.
However, if cameras are not monitored, criminals who hide their faces (by wearing hoods, masks, or scarves) may be able to commit a crime and leave the scene before anyone notices. Since their faces are covered, the likelihood of catching them after the fact is quite low.
The flaw with unmonitored cameras is that they usually only serve as a way to gather evidence of a crime that has already happened. If the criminal hides their face (or if they don’t care about their face being visible), they can still commit a crime. Even if they are caught later, the damage will have been done.
How Live Monitoring Protects Parking Garages
While unmonitored cameras may primarily provide evidence after a crime has already happened, live video monitoring can deter criminals and prevent crimes. A live video monitoring system is watched remotely by trained security professionals. Not only do they view the cameras 24/7, but they can also interject into suspicious situations.
For instance, if agents spot someone lurking on the property, they can use two-way speakers to communicate with the site and let the criminal know that they’re being watched. Agents can even contact security guards or the police directly to respond to incidents. This drastically reduces the likelihood of a crime happening.
Plus, if cameras are installed so that the entire parking garage is visible to remote agents, this provides significantly more comprehensive coverage than would be possible with security guards.
Instead of asking “do parking garages have cameras?”, it might be better to ask, “does this parking garage have the right cameras?” and “are the cameras being watched?” For more information, please contact Birdseye Security Solutions.