Avoiding Crimes When Parking, Part 2

Avoid Rape, Assault, and Robbery

1. For business owners, keep in mind that to make car parks safer, planners should provide direct access from parking areas to the entrance of dwellings.

2. Car parks should be no further than 60 meters from dwellings, and the path should be well lit and free from shrubbery.

3. Visitors' car parks should be well lit, clearly identifiable, and visible from dwellings.

4. Prevention is enhanced through the use of security cameras. There are several different options. You can install cameras that provide a live feed to a monitor, those that record activity (even these can be 24/7 or movement activated), or you can install dummy cameras that are real in the sense they are made from real camera housings without the electronics. These of course, would be the cheapest option. To see some of these options, Click Here.

5. You can also use advanced technological surveillance methods such as an infrared unit, which detects the presence of intruders - but not cats and dogs - by body heat, and automatically switches on all lights in the car park and turns them off after 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Access to enclosed car parks should be limited to residents by some form of electronic entry control device if possible.

7. If it is desirable to limit access to dwellings, make sure access via car parks is monitored as well.

Above all else, awareness is the key. You are always safer traveling in pairs. If you have to walk into an unfamiliar car park and don't feel comfortable doing so alone, ask someone to walk out with you or stand in the door and watch until you enter your vehicle. There are also personal security items you can carry with you to gain attention and scare off suspicious persons. A simple item which sends out a screeching alarm and flashes a bright light with activation can give you some security. For some other ideas, Click Here.