Every 4.1 seconds — that’s how often property crime occurred in the United States back in 2017. Larceny-theft took the top spot for the most-committed property crimes that year. One took place every 5.7 seconds.
All in all, the total number of property crimes that year amounted to almost 7.7 million. They resulted in a whopping loss of $15.3 billion.
Granted, these statistics show a drop in country-wide crime rates. The same goes true for New Jersey, where nonviolent crime went down 1.7%.
That doesn’t mean you no longer need to take a closer look at your commercial security practices though. After all, there’s still a 15.45 property crime rate for every 1,000 NJ residents.
Now the question is, how can you up your commercial property’s security ante? That’s what we’ll share with you, so let’s dive right into it!
1. Start by Updating Your Asset and Inventory List
When you aren’t 100% sure what you have to protect, it’s easy to become lax in security. That’s why you need to conduct regular reviews and updates of your asset inventory. This is key to improve commercial security in your building.
This should include the building itself, such as structural upgrades and construction additions. Don’t forget office and retail systems as well as office supplies and stocks. Keep in mind new hires, whether contractual or full-time, are also part of your assets.
2. Review Your Current Security Plan and Make Appropriate Changes
Once you know exactly what you need to protect, you’ll have a clearer idea of risks and threats. Keep in mind that these are different for each of your tenants though. You need them to be transparent too so that you can better safeguard their valuables.
What’s important is to know what’s the most at risk in case an incident happens. Is data theft a common security vulnerability among your tenants? Or are most of them at greater risk of having physical property stolen?
If the second situation is where you’re at, then you may need more doormen or security guards. This doesn’t mean you won’t need them anymore if your tenants prioritize data security. You should still hire these professionals for general building security.
This is only one example, but the bottom line is, you need to know potential threats to guard your property better. This knowledge will help you put in place better defense against such threats.
3. Upgrade Your Commercial Security Equipment
Once you’ve updated your inventory and security plan, next up is security equipment. Pay close attention to these three core areas:
Perimeter
Securing a building, be it commercial or residential, starts from a property’s perimeter. You’d want to keep unlawful individuals from breaching this area. As such, you should have adequate security lighting and enough on-site security personnel.
Fencing, if appropriate and possible, should also be part of your perimeter security. But make sure you factor in aesthetics too, as you don’t want to end up with a prison-like building.
Security and Alarm Systems
A DIY alarm system may work for an average home, but it’s not enough for a commercial property. What you need is a monitored, comprehensive commercial security system.
For instance, a warehouse security checklist should have motion detectors and CCTVs. In fact, this is necessary for all commercial properties.
CCTVs allow you to see who and what exactly enters and leaves your facility. That said, consider monitoring devices that have high-quality recording capabilities. This way, you can put a name on faces in case a crime takes place.
You should also invest in glass break sensors and keycard entry systems. These further boost building security and access control.
Cybersecurity
668 cases of breached data security have already occurred in the U.S. in the first half of 2018. This has led to the unwanted exposure of 22 million records.
Think you don’t need cybersecurity because you don’t handle stuff like intellectual property? Think again. Even commercial properties that don’t deal with sensitive data still needs cybersecurity.
4. Be Sure of Your Personnel’s Trustworthiness
As much as we would like to say we can trust all our employees, that isn’t always the case. Especially when it comes to new hires, who may only have a stellar reputation on paper.
That’s why you’d still want to conduct background checks on all your staff members. Add to this proper access control, wherein all employees should have photo ID badges. Use a separate, special identification method for contractors or part-timers.
You should also have security measures for visitors or guests, such as a sign-in/out protocol. A visitor’s ID would also help identify non-personnel within your building.
Strict implementation of these is crucial, but don’t forget boundaries. You don’t want to step on your employees’ privacy, as they may quit because of that. Also, make sure you abide by New Jersey employment laws surrounding this topic.
5. Develop a Solid Incident Response Program
Your incident response program can make all the difference in a life-threatening situation. If worse comes to worst, your emergency response personnel can save lives. That’s why there should always be enough of them on duty at all times.
They should also undergo adequate training, which should include a response to potential attacks. Make sure you disseminate the information to all your building’s occupants too. Schedule regular drills to ensure everyone knows evacuation routes.
Make Your Commercial Property as Secure as Possible ASAP
Commercial security, be it for warehouses or rental units, should always be up-to-date. There is also no one-size-fits-all security program for commercial buildings. Your property and its occupants are unique, always keep that in mind.
Ready to take the security of your commercial property to the next level? In that case, please don’t hesitate to connect with us. We can help you figure out the best measures and additions to keep your property secure!