Your thoughts

[HotelSecurity]

My 2 side-by-side hotels near the airport are on the service road of a major highway. The area has been called the Car Theft Capital of Canada. Cars are sometimes parked for 2 or more weeks as people stay at the hotels one night, take the shuttle to the airport in the morning & go on vacation. It's a shooping mall for car thiefs!!

We only have Security overnight. The thefts take place during the day when there is lots of traffic on the highway so they can blend in & disappear. There is no question of the owner spending ANY money for a manpower solution. (No car patrols, no guard in a booth etc). He hired a consultant who has come up with this solution (?):

Barriers are being set up at the entrance to the parking lots & at the exits. To open the barrier the driver will have to roll down his window & enter a code in a keypad. The code will be written near the keypad with a high resolution camera looking at the driver. Another camera will record the license plate of the car. The thinking is the car thiefs will think twice stealing a car knowing that their picture is being taken.

Anyone think this will help?

[Taktiq]

Think twice? Hah!

When I was going through the sheriff's academy, our instructors told us about how a tractor trailer loaded with evidence was parked in the employee parking section (gated w/keypad plus tons of cameras) outside of the downtown detention center. At some point, someone just hooked that trailer up and drove off with it. To this day it's still missing and they still don't know who took it.

[NRM_Oz]

Some crooks just don't care. I have seen crooks lift $1000 US coffee machines and walk out with them (bloody heavy too) and women try on designer dresses in our stores at $4k US and attempt to walk out with them.

Perhaps a keycard system may help or a 1 write code where they must get a new code to exit (not sure how your system works). Personally I would sign post the area (perhaps will save 1 car but worth it) and consider a simple walk through by someone at reception - even that has to help in some way.

Other than that - looks like the choices are having it manned in the day time.

[flashlightcop509]

Well, is there signage posted stating "Management is not responsible for any lost or stolen items" kinda disclaimer thing to let people know once they park their cars, that the property owner/management will not be held liable for loss or damage to vehicles left on the property?

The code will be written near the keypad with a high resolution camera looking at the driver. Another camera will record the license plate of the car.

Unless they plan on paying someone to sit and monitor that camera all day in real time and with someone on site to respond right off if something seems hinky, all someone has to do is disguise themselves or otherwise obscure their appearance, and they'd be done with their stuff in short order... A camera to record the plate wouldn't mean jack if the thefts were pre planned and the miscreants had several (stolen) plates to replace after they thought the current plate was recorded by someone...

[Taktiq]

Well, is there signage posted stating "Management is not responsible for any lost or stolen items" kinda disclaimer thing to let people know once they park their cars, that the property owner/management will not be held liable for loss or damage to vehicles left on the property?

Unless they plan on paying someone to sit and monitor that camera all day in real time and with someone on site to respond right off if something seems hinky, all someone has to do is disguise themselves or otherwise obscure their appearance, and they'd be done with their stuff in short order... A camera to record the plate wouldn't mean jack if the thefts were pre planned and the miscreants had several (stolen) plates to replace after they thought the current plate was recorded by someone...

+1! Yep, unless it's manned physically, not much will really change in the long run.

[NRM_Oz]

There is more that signposting about Management not taking responsibility, etc. Why not post "Plain clothes and uniformed security officers patrol this carpark 24 / 7".

With the eateries in a store I once consulted for, we had bag snatches every day almost. Management blamed security, security blamed management so we put a presence into the area with a uniform just walking through at busy times and it did work. Educating diners not to leave their bags on the floor or on a chair was another issue and the staff helped out too, but the best method was telling others telling those busted how we KNEW what they were doing.

Sadly you do need a presence and even if it is just a walk through or if you know the high risk times then target those.

[ValleyOne]

If I was tasked with this issue and knew a head of time that manpower was to be avoided at all costs I would expand on what the 'expert' laid out.

1) Use a barrier that can't be rammed through. Like those highway concrete barriers, sometimes called Jersey Barriers.

2) Use gates that can't be rammed through, I know a tall order. This is the weakest point of the system.

3) Instead of leaving the code where everyone can see it, print it off on the receipt at the desk when they pay.

Just somethings I would consider...

[HotelSecurity]

If I was tasked with this issue and knew a head of time that manpower was to be avoided at all costs I would expand on what the 'expert' laid out.

1) Use a barrier that can't be rammed through. Like those highway concrete barriers, sometimes called Jersey Barriers.

2) Use gates that can't be rammed through, I know a tall order. This is the weakest point of the system.

3) Instead of leaving the code where everyone can see it, print it off on the receipt at the desk when they pay.

Just somethings I would consider...

Problem with #3 is that there are a lot of banquets at this hotel. 100 people leave at the same time. They don't pay a bill or stop at the front desk

[HotelSecurity]

There is more that signposting about Management not taking responsibility, etc. Why not post "Plain clothes and uniformed security officers patrol this carpark 24 / 7".

What do you tell the guest who is a victim of something & he asks to speak to this non existant Security Oficer?

BTW we have signs saying that there is camera surveillance but these thefts are being done by organized gangs. They don't care.

The thefts do not directly hurt the hotels in the pcoketbook- we have been taken to court & have won. They do hurt the reputation of the hotels.

The only reason why "something" is being done is because the Police contacted the owner & complained that they were being tied up taking too many reports of thefts

[ValleyOne]

Problem with #3 is that there are a lot of banquets at this hotel. 100 people leave at the same time. They don't pay a bill or stop at the front desk

It's all mostly computers nowadays, merely have the code printed out at the coat check, or when they validate their parking.

If they are complaining about a s/o not being there are at the same time getting pressured from the police... Well that sounds like that market speaking, how come their not listening. To pay for the additional officer(s) they could increase the room rate. Even a slgiht increase should make up for it.

But what's gonna happen when a car wizzes by the unarmed s/o? Then the heat will be really turned on... That's why I went the route I did.

[Andy Taylor]

Camera won't help. This happened last week:
Subject pulls up in an older Chevy Blazer. He is observed by a security officer who heads in that direction. Subject stops, gets out and heads for a parked motorcycle. Security officer approaches subject and asks "What are you doing?" Subject stammers a bit and eventually says "I was looking for a place to take a piss." Security Officer says "You can't do it here, you are on camera, and points to the camera that is looking directly at the subject and the motorcycle. Subject says "Oh, OK" and quickly gets back into the Blazer and leaves. The Security Officer writes down the plate number and goes inside to get a photo of the subject, because he felt that he was most likely thinking of stealing the motorcycle. Owner of motorcycle later reports that a tank bag was stolen off of the bike. The tank bag was present when the officer contacted the subject. Review of the suveillence video showed that while the officer went to get the photo of the subject the subject came back and stole the bag. Beautiful footage of the thief and of the theft and the plate number did not help. The Blazer's registration expired four years ago and then it was registared to a junkyard in San Jose, which is about 140 miles from here.

[HotelSecurity]

It's all mostly computers nowadays, merely have the code printed out at the coat check, or when they validate their parking.

If they are complaining about a s/o not being there are at the same time getting pressured from the police... Well that sounds like that market speaking, how come their not listening. To pay for the additional officer(s) they could increase the room rate. Even a slgiht increase should make up for it.

But what's gonna happen when a car wizzes by the unarmed s/o? Then the heat will be really turned on... That's why I went the route I did.

1( In the summer time there is no coat check. It is a free open parking lot, no ticket to validate. (Think shopping centre type lot with long term parking).
2( They are not listening because they will not spend money unless absoultly necessary.
3) If we increase the room rate oeople will go somewhere else. The market is very very tight on "the strip".

[HotelSecurity]

Camera won't help. This happened last week:
Subject pulls up in an older Chevy Blazer. He is observed by a security officer who heads in that direction. Subject stops, gets out and heads for a parked motorcycle. Security officer approaches subject and asks "What are you doing?" Subject stammers a bit and eventually says "I was looking for a place to take a piss." Security Officer says "You can't do it here, you are on camera, and points to the camera that is looking directly at the subject and the motorcycle. Subject says "Oh, OK" and quickly gets back into the Blazer and leaves. The Security Officer writes down the plate number and goes inside to get a photo of the subject, because he felt that he was most likely thinking of stealing the motorcycle. Owner of motorcycle later reports that a tank bag was stolen off of the bike. The tank bag was present when the officer contacted the subject. Review of the suveillence video showed that while the officer went to get the photo of the subject the subject came back and stole the bag. Beautiful footage of the thief and of the theft and the plate number did not help. The Blazer's registration expired four years ago and then it was registared to a junkyard in San Jose, which is about 140 miles from here.

This happens all the time at the 2 hotels. Great useless photos of suspects but did not prevent anything & unless someone is caught they are useless. I have tapes upon tapes (from the days before digital) of thefts of thefts of breifcases & laptops in the hotel lobbies. Great close up pictures. Did not prevent or catch the thiefs

[Badge714]

In the UK, they have literally tens of thousands of cameras all around the country. Yet, 80% of street crimes go unsolved.

The best course for the hotel is to put disclaimers on the parking tickets and signage at the entry point and in the hotel lobby. Guards during the day would be nice, but there is no real incentive for the hotel to pay extra to provide security for the vehicles.

[Andy Taylor]

HotelSecurity:
You say the police is complaining to your management about the amount of thefts. Can the police force the issue? Charge for excessive calls for service? Put the hotel under a Problem Orientated Policing program? An extreme would be to shut down the hotel for creating a nuisance? I have seen cases that if management did not co-operate then code enforcement is called in and all codes are enforced to the letter. It may be cheaper just to hire the approriate amount of security. My example of the tank bag theft is the exception rather than the rule here as my security staff is very visable and we talk to everyone we see. We were surprised that he came back. That was unusual.