Parking Lot Surveillance Cameras: A Complete Guide

7 Jan 2022

Whether you manage a commercial parking lot, vehicle storage facility or car dealership, it must be secured against criminal activity.

Unfortunately, these criminals are conditioned to believe that parking lots are an easy target due to their lack of active security systems - and in too many cases, this is true. 

Don't allow your parking lot to become the next crime statistic; now is the time to invest in a high-quality security system and protect your property, employees, guest, and customers. 

Are Surveillance Cameras Necessary for Parking Lot Security?

Do I Need Video Monitoring Services?
Remote video monitoring involves a team of security professionals actively monitoring the alerts from the surveillance cameras you install at your lots.

They will verify these alerts, and, if they are an active threat, they will initiate a remote crime prevention process that includes issuing an audio challenge, live voice down functionality, and even the dispatching of guards or local law enforcement.

But do you need this service? The presence of a surveillance camera is often enough of a deterrent to criminals, and if a crime does occur then, you have all the high-quality video evidence stored on the device. 

The actual value of remote video monitoring is that it allows for crime prevention. 

Suppose a surveillance camera does not deter a criminal; a voice down audio challenge from a remote operator informing them that law enforcement has been despatched will stop them in their tracks.

This prevents your lots and properties from being affected by damage or loss, meaning no rising insurance premiums and no aftermath to deal with.

Finally, remote monitoring service means no late-night call outs for you to deal with; you can rest easy knowing a team of security professionals are always awake, always on guard, and always protecting your lots. 

The Benefits of Remote Video Monitoring

Is Remote Video Monitoring Expensive?

Cost is a crucial consideration for many businesses. That is a significant reason why video surveillance cameras and remote monitoring services are increasingly popular -  they are significantly cheaper than security guards.

Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage of a security guard is $29,680 — and that number goes up if you have to cover holiday periods or you want an armed guard.

A LotGuard unit, complete with video monitoring services, offers savings of up to 85% compared with the cost of using a security guard.

There are, of course, pros and cons to using surveillance cameras vs guards beyond just the price point. At LotGuard, we would generally recommend a blended approach to security and suggest you augment the reach of existing guards with surveillance cameras.

Cameras make the work of guards more efficient, amplifying and enhancing their reach by giving them eyes on multiple areas around the parking lot.

Guards can even talk down to people in the lot through speakers while viewing them live on camera, letting them know they are being recorded.

Do I Need to Install a License Plate Recognition (LPR) Camera?
License plate recognition (LPR) cameras can significantly enhance your parking lot surveillance cameras.

They automatically scan the plates of all vehicles that enter or exit your lots (night or day, in all weather conditions) and link footage to the plate number of the vehicle recorded.

This allows users to identify every vehicle that enters and exits their parking lot and simplifies the process of access management.

An LPR camera can help you automate which vehicles can access your parking lots and make the process of identifying offenders much easier. 

This two-fold benefit has made LPR cameras an extremely popular customization feature of the LotGuard camera range.

Do I Need an 'Intelligent' Camera?