With an increase in news articles highlighting attacks in parking garages, garage safety should be a top priority for facilities and campuses. Especially at night, customers and staff are more vulnerable to attacks, specifically in areas that are devoid of potential witnesses. According to the FBI, crime is more likely to happen in the middle of the night.

However, on a more positive note it is possible to reduce the fears of persons who use these infrastructure with the deployment of specialised technologies that combine smart parking guidance with a state-of-the-art security system.

Risks and Solutions: Managing security in parking garages

Knowing the data and reading the stories are clear indicators parking structure safety is essential. TKH Security is addressing these issues with the creation of an effective solution combining sitewide surveillance and advanced parking guidance within a single system.

Camera-based technology

The Park Assist solution, an automated parking guidance system (APGS), uses camera-based smart sensors to detect space availability, and since the cameras are spaced evenly, it drastically improves visibility and security in the parking garage. Instead of only having visibility in stairwells and elevators, these parking structures would have smart sensors placed at every third parking spot with cameras on two sides of each sensor. The sensor placement provides visibility for up to 6 spaces, including between vehicles, significantly increasing the number of areas visible via HD real-time monitoring.

Video on demand

The autonomous, camera-based smart sensors stream HD video to the central database. Since these cameras capture footage 24/7, the facility can perform real-time monitoring of occupancy and activity with interactive dashboards using live data. The Park View Surveillance add-on software module can capture streaming video when motion is detected or continuously. By being able to monitor multiple areas at once, users can be on the lookout for suspicious activity in a more efficient way than ever before. Plus, since recordings can be saved for up to 90 days, security can easily work with authorities when needed.

The Park Assist solution’s integrated license plate recognition (LPR), makes it easy to identify and report suspicious vehicles by keeping track of vehicles entering and exiting the garage at any given time. The various software modules available use LPR to automatically monitor who is parking in what section of the parking garage, send instant alerts when someone parks where they aren’t allowed to, and maintain a complete inventory of parked vehicles.

As an added layer of protection to ease the minds of persons who use parking garages, the live monitoring and surveillance ability of the Park Assist solution, an automated parking guidance system (APGS), is a solution that offers to work for everyone.