Should we trust the protection of our vacant premises with technology or will those quick witted criminals best be kept at bay with a team of trained security guards?

What’s The Problem?
Without regular inhabitants any empty property will require some form of protection against the elements and potential intruders. This can often be achieved through the use of timber boarding up or for a longer term solution; steel security screens combined with a robust security door. All of which are offered by Safe Site Facilities, a Sussex based company with nationwide coverage and a completely free quotation system. Despite this some high profile vacant premises, such as commercial premises or buildings located in areas known for criminal activity, will require additional security measures be put in place to deter determined trespassers.
The very nature of a vacant property makes it an easier target for criminals and damage can often go undetected without any type of surveillance system in place, which becomes more expensive to fix as time goes on.

The Solution
A team of manned guards have a number of advantages when it comes to property protection. Their visible presence is often enough to deter would be criminals and regular property inspections ensure that any property damage is recorded and rectified as quickly as possible. This is often an area missed by surveillance cameras that, while sufficient to spot intruders, aren’t able to focus on all areas of the property for inspection purposes.

Having said that a team of dedicated security guards would be expensive and having personnel at the property round the clock impractical. CCTV systems also have the advantage of being able to provide multiple points of view on a property at any given moment in time.

Technological solutions tend to cost more upfront but over time will become far more cost effective than guards. These solutions work 24/7 and can include door and window alarms, dedicated surveillance camera solutions as well as motion detection sensors to make sure all areas are covered. While many would argue that a human face acts as more of a deterrent than a camera system response times would certainly be increased when using a technological solution to tackle these security issues.

In the end, the best solution is going to be a combination of the two; with security cameras in place to take care of round the clock monitoring and an on-call security guard who makes routine property inspections you can make sure you’re vacant property is as secure as possible within a reasonable budget. For less at risk premises, you may find that a simple alarm system along with normal physical deterrents, such as steel security fencing, will be more than enough.  However, for sites that are of particular importance, particularly commercial properties, it can often work best to hedge your bets and make use of a professional guarding service in addition to basic technological monitoring and alarm systems.

Article written by Alex Murray, Safe Site Facilities