Security solutions help storage facilities prevent theft and improve customer confidence.
When we decided to build a new house, we knew we’d be displaced for a few months between the sale of our then-current house and the completion of the new one. Since we had a houseful of belongings and no house to put them in, we rented a storage unit.
The idea of the unit seemed so simple and basic—then again, so did the idea of moving—but, as with many things in life, the reality wasn’t quite so straightforward.
Cue the stress of trying to pack up the majority of our lives while balancing a baby and a very needy toddler, plus finding a temporary place to live with a large dog—all amid major life upheaval. Survival was the name of the game.
With two small children in the “I-only-want-Mom” phase of life, it made the most sense to make our storage unit runs late at night when they were already asleep so grandma could just sit in the living room awaiting our return.
The drawback of this system was the storage facility itself: A maze of garages, the run-down facility had only a rusted chain-link fence to protect it from the outside world. With only our headlights to cut through the darkness of the late summer nights, it felt like nefarious figures were waiting to ambush us around every shadowy corner. The only thing that was missing was the eerie music from Monk at the very beginning of the show—you know, the part where someone gets murdered.
With our tight timeline and the logistics of two people moving a house’s worth of stuff by themselves, it wasn’t possible to change to a different facility, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that I wouldn’t go back there if we had to do it all over again. The unsettling, unprotected feeling added to an already stress-laden situation, and I was halfway surprised when we came back several months later to find our belongings still sitting inside the oversized garage. (Clearly a vote of confidence on my part.)
Storage facilities fill a unique space in the business world: They hold possessions but not people. They are an in-person business but don’t regularly have face-to-face, employee-to-customer interactions. They are the place people turn to when they need more space for their possessions, collections, or inventory.
Because of the remote nature of these facilities and the important objects they protect, it makes all the difference when storage facilities take security seriously.
It’s an interesting phenomenon that humans assign more value to something they own versus an item they don’t, even if the objective value is the same. We are less willing to take risks with the things we already own than the things we might gain through risks.
In that same vein, we tend to expect and internally exaggerate rare risks (such as being murdered at your storage unit) while downplaying more common potential problems. Our fears, even if mostly irrational, play a large part in our perceptions of safety and security, directly impacting our willingness to trust a storage facility with our valuable property.
Storage facility security systems play a dual role: They deter would-be criminals from actually committing crimes and they improve feelings of safety in customers.
Security system components deter crime in two ways: physically and psychologically.
Physical barriers, such as access-controlled gates or padlocks, make it physically more difficult to commit a crime. Scaling a seven-foot fence may be possible (for some people), but it is way harder than simply walking into a place with no fence.
Meanwhile, security solutions like mobile surveillance units provide a psychological barrier to committing a crime by sending a clear message to wrongdoers: “Any crimes committed will not go unnoticed. You will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
This psychological barrier only goes into effect if the security measure is obviously visible. This is known as the See-Get-Fear model.
It’s not just criminals who feel those crime-deterring effects; average people feel it too. Visible security system components such as security cameras and fences in good repair make people feel as though any people nearby are less likely to commit crimes, increasing feelings of safety all around.
In a recent study from the ACCESS Taskforce, the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) found that 80% of community members and retail employees feel safer shopping at stores with mobile security units from LiveView Technologies® than stores without them. It’s no stretch of the imagination to assume similar numbers would apply in regard to mobile security units at storage facilities.
Feeling safe and secure has a significant impact on mental well-being and directly influences our perception of businesses. Increased feelings of safety equal increased feelings of trust in a business which leads to higher occupancy rates and more revenue.
Effective storage facility security systems should be composed of multiple aspects, each one providing its own important layer of security.
While security cameras may be best known for video evidence collection, the right camera setup can do so much more.
Features to look for in security cameras:
Mobile security units like the LVT® Unit are a great surveillance camera option for outdoor spaces. These units offer the same effective surveillance as traditional IP cameras with the added benefit of autonomous flexibility, allowing you to eliminate blind spots and adjust as needed.
Well-maintained fences around the storage facility create a strong physical barrier against trespassers. Since customers still need access to their units, an access-controlled gate ensures that only paying customers can enter easily.
However, an access-controlled gate alone may not be enough—bad actors could simply rent storage units to gain access. To enhance security, individual units should also have their own locks.
Nighttime has long been associated with criminal activity because it’s easier to hide under the cover of darkness. Security lighting completely changes the atmosphere of a storage facility at night, removing the shield of darkness under which criminals tend to hide.
As proven by my own (mostly irrational) fear during our nighttime storage runs, lighting may make the biggest psychological impact when it comes to feelings of safety.
From a practical standpoint, strong lighting can also reduce accidents by helping people stay more aware of their surroundings.
Interested in improving the security at your storage facility? Contact LVT for more information about our mobile security units today!
