The notable increase in auto and dealership theft this year might have you considering new ways to protect the millions of dollars in automobile inventory left out in the cold everyday. Cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle and Houston have already made changes to address the recent increase in large, brazen auto thefts across the country by bolstering auto dealership security. Unfortunately, most of these dealerships had to make the change after incurring a large financial loss.
These days, hoping for security is no longer a strategy when it comes to keeping inventory safe.
So, what CAN you do? Eventually lightning will strike, leaving your organization with a decision to make. How prepared do you want to be when trouble hits?
Thankfully, there are some things you can implement today to “harden the target” for criminals, making it much more difficult for them to launch a successful attack.
Tip #1: DO NOT leave keys either in the car or out where they are accessible
Dealerships that have been victimized, no matter how entry to the building was made, have one thing in common; the keys were accessible.
Tip #2: DO NOT leave dealership license plates where they are accessible.
Tip #3: DO NOT use or limit the amount of key lock boxes on individual vehicles.
Time and time again the devices have proven only to delay a criminal for a few moments. Move to a solution where all keys are securely located inside the building.
Tip #4: DO harden the target by restricting entry points and egress.
Do you put up blockers at your entries overnight? You should be.
Tip #5: DO disable overhead doors.
Turn off the power to overhead doors. Place a lock in the roller track.
Tip #6: DO enforce a strict inventory system.
Keys, plates and vehicles should be accounted for and locked up nightly.
Tip #7: DO enforce daytime security policies.
Ever have 5 cars running in line at your car wash with no one in them? One car per employee – start to finish.
Tip #8: DO utilize modern electronic security features.
Alarms, CCTV and access control add up when it comes to showing a criminal you have invested protection. A growing trend at the vanguard of security for auto businesses is “Remote Guarding”, a solution in which trained agents, processes, & modern technology come together to stop crime before it even happens.
Actual footage of Remote Guarding security solutions stopping an arson attempt at a Los Angeles auto dealership
While most of these steps remain free to implement, investing time to find a professional security company to partner with proves to be the best method in crime prevention. Innovation will continue to provide new methods to protect your organizations, but ultimately it is up to your team to utilize simple methods to prevent theft and vandalism.
Click HERE to learn more about how Remote Guarding Stops Auto Dealership Crime
Check out the testimonial below to see how dealerships are leveraging Remote Guarding to protect their facilities and improve their bottom line:
Written by: Jon Kromroy
Jon is a Regional Director at Elite Interactive Solutions with years of experience securing auto dealerships. Click here to contact Jon and learn more about Remote Guarding security solutions. You can also find Jon on LinkedIn by clicking here.