Security Guards Could Have Prevented Car Dealership Theft
At a car dealership in Slidell, Louisiana, approximately $120,000 worth of merchandise was stolen overnight – specifically, 124 wheels and tires. The owner of this Chevrolet dealership arrived to work to find dozens of cars sitting on blocks. The heist is believed to have been committed by professional thieves. The most glaringly obvious mistake of the dealership? Not having armed and uniformed security guards on the premises.
When You Need More Than Surveillance Video
The duo of successful car thieves was recorded on camera loading the stolen merchandise into the back of a U-Haul. Surveillance video caught the action, but it wasn’t enough to deter the criminals, who even manipulated exterior lights so they could work in the dark, undetected. Locks and car alarms on the 31 vandalized cars were no deterrent either
Security cameras are incredibly important and helpful in discouraging thieves and troublemakers, but sometimes they’re not enough all by themselves, especially at an attractive car dealership that sits open every night, waiting to be noticed.
Should a security guard have been on the premises, patrolling the area, looking for unusual behavior, and keeping an eye on real-time surveillance footage, the crime would have been stopped in its tracks or potentially avoided altogether. Often, the mere presence of a security guard is enough to deter thieves from targeting a car dealership because they simply don’t want the hassle.
The Unique Security Threats Car Dealerships Face
Car dealerships are an attractive target for thieves and vandals. There are millions of dollars of merchandise, busy lots, and plenty of distractions to make crime a little easier than it should be. It’s not just after-hours crimes that occur at car lots either – plenty of crimes occur during business hours, with inventory being snatched from body shops and storage areas, and even employees sometimes get in on the act.
Daytime car dealership security guards play an active role in a dealership’s daily operations, keeping an eye on who’s entering and exiting the area, looking for patterns in activity, noting atypical activity, identifying and addressing potential threats, and maintaining deterrents like alarms, lights, and audible announcements.
Not every visitor to a dealership lot at night has an evil agenda. Sometimes, car shoppers simply want to peruse the merchandise without the pressure of sales people or the presence of other customers. Sometimes, however, criminals are looking for the poorly lit areas of a dealership so they can get what they came for – and, after all, the merchandise they want is right out there in the open for the taking.
Security guards greet people, no matter what time of day they appear, figure out their intentions, and react accordingly. Having a uniformed guard on alert and maintaining watch over the entire dealership 24/7 protects the business from all potential threats.
Don’t let your car dealership fall victim to professional thieves, vandals, or any other troublemakers. Talk to Korner Security about hiring armed and uniformed guards to protect your merchandise, make your customers feel comfortable, and keep your facility and lots safe and free of crime. Contact us to schedule your consultation.