Why Commercial Building Security Is More Important Than Ever

As the U.S. and global economies slow because of the major impact of COVID-19, you should prepare for the fact this may bring with it a need for additional building security in the facilities you manage.

Over 20 million Americans have filed for some form of unemployment benefits in the past month thanks to the far-reaching effects of this global pandemic, and whether or not we are technically in a recession, there’s no question that the growing unemployment rate can come with another negative side effect: an increase in crime.

As the facilities manager, you can take this as an opportunity to strengthen your commercial building security plan before you ever need it. You can put preventative measures in place to keep crime at bay in the buildings you manage. 

What should you be doing to protect your facilities? What do you need to know to shield your building from break-ins and theft?

Why We Might See a Rise in Crime

If we use the 2007-2008 recession as an indicator, we know that during the financial crisis, there were measurable increases in crime. A 2009 Police Executive Research Forum study states that 44 percent of respondents saw some kind of increase in crime during the recession. What else did they see?

• Thirty-nine percent reporting an increase in robberies
• Forty percent reporting an increase in thefts that classify as “opportunistic crimes,” where the perpetrator saw an item—through a window or in a car, for example—and broke in and stole it

There is an undeniable link between unemployment and a suffering economy and an increase in crime and theft. The economic impact has been immediate—we don’t know the long-term implications of how this pandemic will affect our economy. 

With the severe economic repercussions so many businesses are already experiencing, you need to prepare the facilities you manage accordingly. 

Take Immediate Action: What Can You Do?

Do you have a commercial building security plan in place? How does it apply to our current situation? Chances are you have some disaster plans in place, but you may want to revisit them to see how they apply to our current situation. 

How can you make your building more secure? Here are a few ideas, thanks to Facilities Net:

• Ask your building occupants to identify which employees should be in the building. You can suspend access for all other people. Limiting who can be there—and who shouldn’t be—also limits the number of people going in and out and the number of chances for unwanted visitors to enter.
• Limit entry points to one or two specific doors and alarm all other doors so that they go off if someone enters the building where they shouldn’t.
• Evaluate your security system. Doors, trash collection areas, and package delivery and pickups all should be monitored and limited.
• Monitor your location for signs of vagrancy, including food, bedding, syringes, etc.
• Remove items that might be seen as opportunistic targets.
• Document all visitors entering and exiting the building. Security staff should verify this information with a state-issued ID. The presence of security also will act as a deterrent. 
• Establish or reestablish contacts with law enforcement and on-site security. You also can check in with nearby businesses and facilities managers.
• Post trespassing signs. These support initial notice, which is an essential part of involving law enforcement and supporting arrest.

You also can make sure that your building is well lit. Illumination is a remarkable deterrent for aggressors who aren’t sure who might be there to witness them or what security cameras might be able to catch if things are well lit.

Keep Up Your Cleaning Maintenance

Everyone is working from home, and no one is in your building, so you should consider holding off on having the building cleaned, right? Think again. It’s a good idea to have an ongoing presence inside your buildings—to make sure that someone is there checking up on things. One way to prevent crime is to keep up the cleaning and maintenance of your building.

Occupancy is a great crime deterrent, which is why you want to do as much as possible to make your presence known in your building or at the very least make it seem like you are checking on things even if you and your building’s occupants have to work remotely right now.

Keeping up the appearance of your building—keeping floors swept and mopped, windows washed, rooms dusted, and more—can establish presence and care of your building, which can keep burglars at bay. Add in the presence of Miami janitorial services, and you are saying to potential criminals, “Don’t come here—we’re occupied.”

If your building houses essential businesses and you have occupants during the day, why not hire night-time office cleaning services in Miami to clean as part of your commercial building security plan? Not only will your office need regular sanitizing to keep germs at bay, but you’ll have an around-the-clock presence in your facility.

We Can Help

All Building Cleaning Corp. offers commercial cleaning in Miami that far surpasses what our competitors can offer for office buildings, retail and grocery stores, auto dealerships, condominiums, and more. We can keep your building clean and disinfected during this unparalleled global pandemic, and we know that having a clean, well-maintained building is a crucial step in your commercial building security plan too. 

We want to help you keep your building clean and secure during these challenging times. Request a quote today, and add an extra security measure to protect your facility and keep it clean and sanitized.