One of the drawbacks of owning a property is the heavy responsibility of keeping your premises and your employees or tenants safe. On the one hand, you need to keep them secure at all times, but on the other hand, crime can happen at any time. The endless cycle of worry about the people on your premises and, of course, about your private interests can be quite devastating in the long run. To relieve you from this stress, here is a list of the most effective ways that are guaranteed to keep your commercial property safe.

Security Cameras

One essential step you can take to secure your premises is by purchasing a set of security cameras. Having a surveillance system is effective on many levels. First and foremost, seeing a camera preemptively stops any criminal activities. A criminal doesn’t want the hassle or the risk so, if you make it harder, chances are they won’t mess with you. Second, with a set of eyes carefully watching the surveillance feed, on-site security or the police can stop the offenders before they even leave the premises. Third, in case no one was there to stop the crime, the stored surveillance feed is guaranteed to come in handy when it comes to catching the culprit and filing an insurance claim.

Hire a Key Holding Service

Another highly effective option is hiring a key holding service. A key holding service is a security company that keeps a spare key to your premises, so they can interfere in case of an after-hours emergency which, if you operate in the UK, you know is a common occurrence. Whether it is theft, vandalism, burglary, or trespassing, key holding services should take care of the problem. The usual procedure starts with off-site security personnel being alerted by an alarm or by watching the surveillance camera feed. Some services even offer on-site protection. After eliminating the threat and reporting the crime to the authorities, an incident report is prepared in order to give you a full account of the events.

Alarm Systems

Any security expert will tell you that you need to install an alarm system for various reasons. For starters, if you hire a security company, you will need something to notify them in the case of a crime. A simple motion-sensor or a door-forced-open alarm can be of great help when it comes to detecting trespassers. Because, at some point, you will have to be away from your property, you will need an alarm system to tell you in case someone breaks through a window or if a certain lock is unlocked forcefully. Some systems will send you a phone notification, after which, you could simply call the police and leave the issue to them. You also might want to consider a manual alarm or a panic button. In case of a robbery, an employee can press the button to trigger an alarm that notifies you, the police, or your security company. Keep in mind that there are two kinds of alarms: silent and loud. A loud alarm might cause the intruder to panic and flee the premises, while a silent alarm will increase the chances of them being caught.

Basic Measures

The same way a lioness assesses its prey before it attacks so does a burglar. If you keep a well-lit parking lot, a visible camera or a surveillance notice, and a locked entrance, you’re most likely to be left alone. Meanwhile, a place that has a poorly-lit parking lot and a weak-looking lock are only risking too much. The key is to install as many security measures as you can without deterring your customers. After all, you’re running a customer-friendly business with the purpose of attracting customers and not driving them away.

There are two key processes you need to periodically carry out before and after you implement your security measures. Beforehand, you must take a walk through your premises and try to look at it from the eyes of a criminal. As you dissect your commercial property, take note of all the potential security risks and the blind spots you come across. This will help you understand your security needs so you can fulfill them accordingly. After a month or a couple of weeks from installing your security system, conduct a performance assessment. Have you had any incidents or close-calls? Are there any improvements that can be done? Are there any blind spots left? Depending on the answers to these questions, conduct another risk assessment, and take the necessary steps as you see fit.