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Shopping centres attract millions of visitors every year and are one of the most popular tourist attractions all over the world.
They are sprawled across a huge area and house various stores, restaurants, a food court, cinemas, expansive car parks, and a myriad of other activities.
With that, shopping centres could be exposed to several types of criminal activities such as theft and vandalism if the right security measures are not taken.
Crowded public places such as shopping centres are also susceptible to terrorist attacks, making it all the more important to enforce a strong security regime.
Read on to find out the best security systems for shopping centres to not just protect valuable inventory from being stolen but also provide a safe environment for the employees, customers, and visitors:
MOST COMMON SHOPPING CENTRE SECURITY ISSUES
Before we discuss the best security systems for shopping centres, you need to understand the type of security challenges that they are faced with.
Some of the most common shopping centre security issues include shoplifting, loitering, after-hours theft, theft in car parks, graffiti, property damage, vandalism, and employee, customer, and visitor safety.
Let’s look at them in detail:
Shoplifting and theft
Shoplifting and theft are some of the most commonly reported offences with over 340,420 shoplifting offences recorded nationally over the past year.
According to this exclusive analysis of official crime statistics, the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent is the most shoplifted location in the UK.
People may shoplift for several reasons such as not having enough money to buy the goods, selling the stolen items for money, supporting an addiction, having mental problems such as an uncontrollable urge to take things, or simply for fun.
This makes it extremely important for shopping centres to protect their valuable merchandise, property, and equipment from theft and burglary.
An often-overlooked area is that of car park security which, if not given adequate attention, may result in the employees, customers, and visitors getting harassed, looted, and made to be felt unsafe and vulnerable.
Loitering
Loitering is a common problem for many businesses, especially shopping centres. It doesn’t just make customers and visitors uncomfortable but may also attract negative attention to the business.
Shopping centres must be extremely careful with how they deal with this security challenge with many of them having strict anti-loitering policies in place.
Some of these individuals might be potentially dangerous and may possibly be using your property to conduct their own, often illegal, business.
Vandalism and anti-social behaviour
Vandalism, which includes graffiti and property damage, is a security issue faced by almost all property owners and, without the proper preventative measures in place, it can become very difficult to trace and prosecute the perpetrators, especially in huge properties like shopping centres.
Other forms of anti-social behaviour include harassment, fighting, and violence which can not only create a ruckus but also lead to an unsatisfactory shopping experience for the customers.
SECURITY SYSTEMS FOR SHOPPING CENTRES
Security systems are used to prevent, detect, and respond to threats such as the ones listed above. It is important for shopping centres to make use of them to not just protect them from damages but also provide their employees and customers with a pleasant experience.
Here are the top security systems for shopping centres:
CCTV CAMERAS FOR SHOPPING CENTRES
CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television) cameras are one of the most common security systems trusted by numerous businesses and homeowners around the world.
Their widespread use is due to the fact that they are one of the most effective deterrents against all sorts of crimes and have evolved into full-fledged security systems that don’t just prevent theft but also provide evidence to help identify and catch the perpetrators.
CCTV cameras and surveillance systems play a huge role in retail security and can make a world of a difference in shopping centre security as well.
The main objective of deploying CCTV cameras in shopping centres is crime deterrence, which is based on the premise that individuals would rather not commit illegal acts such as shoplifting, theft, or vandalism, in front of a camera for the fear of being monitored and recorded.
Evidence shows that public places under video surveillance experience a significant drop in crime rates, and that proves that CCTV cameras are indeed effective when it comes to shopping centre security.
CCTV cameras can protect against shoplifting during opening hours as well as after-hours when the shopping centres are empty.
They also provide customers with a sense of security who may be victims of theft or assault while they are inside the shopping centre.
Another great reason why shopping centres may benefit from the use of CCTV cameras is that they allow the owners and managers to monitor the employees and staff members at work, who may be tempted to sleep on the job, steal inventory from the store and money from tills, or indulge in anti-social behaviour when no one is watching.
Well-placed CCTV cameras in shopping centres prevent theft, deter crime, monitor employee productivity, increase customer safety, and aid in crime investigation.
The focus, however, is on the cameras being well-placed since haphazardly placing the CCTV cameras throughout the shopping centre won’t help in achieving the desired objectives.
You can start by conducting a thorough risk assessment to identify the areas that need to be put under surveillance. Some of the most at-risk areas in a shopping centre include:
- The entrances and exits,
- Open public spaces such as lobbies and food courts,
- Intersections, crossroads, and areas with heavy foot traffic,
- Car parks, and
- Storage, delivery, and loading areas.
There are thousands of CCTV models with various features and capabilities that can make choosing the right CCTV camera somewhat of a challenge if you are uninformed.
When selecting the right CCTV camera for shopping centre security, there are a few things that you must consider such as how the cameras look, their field of view, the environmental conditions that they work in, and their resolution and picture quality.
The shape of a camera is the most basic element that determines whether it will be a visual or hidden deterrent. Certain camera shapes, such as bullet CCTV cameras, are bulky and generic and instantly recognisable, while others such as dome CCTV cameras are recognisable but hide the way they are facing, and some are designed to be as hard to identify as possible.
The environmental conditions refer to where the cameras can be used such as indoors, outdoors, during the daytime, or in complete darkness. Depending on that, the most suitable CCTV cameras are chosen to work effectively in said environmental conditions.
The field of view refers to the coverage of a single camera and how wide an area it can monitor. While some CCTV cameras are built to look in a single direction, others are more flexible and offer a greater level of control through panning, tilting, and zooming features.
The resolution and camera quality are measured in vertical and horizontal pixel dimensions that determine how clear and crisp the CCTV footage will be.
CCTV cameras come in various resolutions ranging from 720p to 4K, and a higher resolution means better image quality. Shopping centres must use CCTV cameras with HD imaging to capture clear footage that makes it easy to identify offenders.
Other important advanced features include motion sensors, notification alerts, professional CCTV monitoring, storage options, facial recognition, built-in alarms, and integration with other security systems.
One very important thing to note here is that while every business, including shopping centres, is allowed to use CCTV cameras, considering that they have a legitimate reason to do so, there are certain surveillance camera laws that they must follow.
According to CCTV laws, it is a legal obligation for you as a CCTV operator to inform the people that they are being monitored which can best be achieved by putting up clear signage or communicating with the people involved, and if you are monitoring your employees, they have to be made aware of it in writing and explained the reasons behind it.
Also, you are not allowed, under any circumstances, to install CCTV cameras in private areas of the shopping centre such as toilets and changing rooms.
BURGLAR ALARMS FOR SHOPPING CENTRES
Burglar alarms are designed to detect intrusions and break-ins using a series of sensors that sound an alarm to facilitate a fast response as soon as they occur.
They are used in a variety of applications and can be particularly useful for detecting after-hours intrusions, which are one of the many security challenges faced by shopping centres.
They can be installed along the perimeter of the shopping centre as well as on the entrances of the individual shops inside.
There are various types of burglar alarms to choose from, all of which differ in the level of alertness that they offer.
You may opt for a bells-only burglar alarm that makes a loud noise, sometimes accompanied by flashing lights, to alert the people nearby of the intrusion. These are unmonitored systems that are best used for smaller, lower-risk properties.
Dialler burglar alarms guarantee a higher level of response than bells-only systems since, in addition to sounding a loud alarm, they automatically contact whoever’s in charge or nominated to be contacted in the event of an alarm trigger.
For maximum protection and to ensure that no intrusion goes undetected, especially during the night when the shopping centre is empty, you may opt for professional alarm monitoring services.
In burglar alarm monitoring, the system is connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) manned by professionals where the alarms are first verified and, depending on the type of contract – keyholder or police response – the relevant people or authorities are contacted right away.
With smart burglar alarms, you can use an app on your smartphone or tablet to receive instant notifications whenever any suspicious activity is detected. They also allow you to remotely control the system from your phone and connect all compatible devices including security cameras, lights, and other sensors.
ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR SHOPPING CENTRES
There are certain areas inside a shopping centre that allow only authorised personnel, such as the storage, delivery, and loading areas.
Not keeping a check over who enters these areas may lead to thieves and burglars gaining access to steal valuable merchandise, incurring heavy losses to both the shopping centre and store owners.
What can be done to prevent unauthorised access? You can certainly use good quality locking mechanisms to allow only permitted individuals to enter.
While that is a very simple and straightforward preventative measure, it can be somewhat of a hassle to manage especially due to the high employee turnover rate at shopping centres.
For obvious reasons, you can’t rekey all the locks every time an employee leaves and not doing so may leave your security in a vulnerable state.
Ex-staff could also pose a security threat which is why shopping centres need systems that reduce vulnerability from former employees.
Also, since traditional keys can easily be copied, shared, lost, and stolen, they aren’t the best form of security to begin with, and that’s where access control systems come in.
Access control systems are keyless door entry systems that use various authentication methods to verify the identity of the user.
Based on whether the credentials are accepted or rejected, the users are granted or denied access, respectively.
The different types of authentication methods include access cards, keypad/pin code, biometrics, smart locks, and remote access.
For added security, you may also enable two-factor authentication where two forms of authentication are required to verify your identity.
Access control systems are much better than the traditional lock and key systems since they eliminate the need for keys and the hassle of managing them. Whoever has had the responsibility for key management knows what a headache it can be.
Access control systems are much more secure and simplify the management process by allowing the users to access multiple doors at multiple locations, all with a centralised and remote administration.
Managing permissions becomes easier with access control systems and any changes may be done instantly and remotely. All you need is a smart device and a good internet connection.
In addition to that, access control systems allow you to track the access of the users, something that is not possible using traditional locks and keys. You can check which user accessed which area and at what time, along with any failed attempts that were made.
The log of events gives employers more control and knowledge over who is accessing the restricted areas of the shopping centre and at what times, and helps them know if an employee is habitually late to work.
In the event of a security incident, such as inventory theft, the accurate records provided by the system help put together a timeline that helps trace who had access to the area where the incident occurred, along with precise timestamps.
CONTACT CALDER SECURITY
We are professionals working in the security industry for over 40 years and our vast experience enables us to understand the various needs and requirements of different types of properties including shopping centres.
We provide a comprehensive security solution that includes not just professional installation of security systems but also their monitoring, maintenance, and repair.
We are SSAIB approved installers and follow all the best practices in the industry. We do not compromise on quality and install only high-quality, state-of-the-art security equipment.
We offer various levels of monitoring via a 24-hour monitoring centre using Dualcom and BT Redcare signalling, which is the most secure alarm monitoring system and the largest supplier of intelligent alarm signalling services in the UK.
We understand the importance of having to regularly maintain security systems since the inability to do so might result in serious faults and consequent vulnerabilities.
We provide professional maintenance checks and reminders for when the checks are due to help you stay compliant with the law, and work fast to restore your security systems to excellent condition.
We also have the resources and capability to manage national contracts for multi-site companies and can offer a variety of services including burglar alarms, CCTV systems, door entry/access control systems, fire alarms, locksmiths services, and safe and vault engineering throughout the UK as part of a national contract.
Contact us here or call us on 0800 612 9799 to talk to our experts right away!