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As universities and colleges near the end of their winter semester, some are conducting online classes and others using a hybrid model. Regardless of how classes are being organized, attendance is not the same as it was before COVID-19. Low foot traffic in campuses creates a flourishing environment for criminals.
The majority of petty crimes in Canada are crimes of opportunity where a criminal wannabe spots an obvious weakness and takes advantage of the presented opportunity. Therefore, it is important that colleges and universities systematically remove said opportunities before crime is committed. This can be done in many ways, but here the best 4 tips to keep your campus secure.
Perform Security Assessments
As human beings, we conduct certain tasks regularly such as inspecting machines, taking our vehicles for an oil change, checking fire alarms etc… and for security to be effective, it must become a task that is regularly assessed for vulnerabilities. Security assessments can be anything from checking window and door locks, inspecting cyber-security practices, and ensuring your security plans are up-to-date. If you are interested in learning more about Security Assessments, drop us a line and our experts will be glad to assist.
Carry out Foot Patrols
Foot patrols are an age-old practice that has proven to be extremely effective in deterring crime. The presence of uniformed security guards does not just deter crime, but it also establishes a sense of security amongst students and faculty workers. Security foot patrols carry many benefits in modern age procedures; our guards are certified in customer service, conflict resolution and in providing concierge style security. And the cherry on top is our state-of-the-art software we use that provides live tracking of events.
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Have you recently noticed how Canadian Tire stores across Canada changed their checkout lineup design? Security Guard Group’s management had a direct impact in this decision making which involved redesigning the “environment” to control external shrink. We provide a similar approach to all of our clients which consists of manipulating the local environment to make it harder for crimes to happen. The basic idea behind Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is to create spaces making it harder for criminals to escape, correct lighting usage, blind spot avoidance, and tailoring landscaping to avoid the creation of secluded areas. To further simplify the process, there is something called the “Broken Window Principle” and under this theory, neglected parts of property invite crime as it highlights lax or weak security protocols.
Reallocate Valuables
With the dwindling foot traffic on campuses, too many buildings remain either unused or underused. These buildings present a security risk especially if electronics such as computers and projectors are stored in there. These items are relevantly small in size, easy to resale and most importantly (to criminals that is) it provides significantly higher returns on the black market than other types of items. It is wise to remove these electronics and store them in either a securer facility or reallocate them in more heavily frequented buildings. While it is hard to guarantee no break-ins will happen, but you can guarantee thieves will leave empty handed.