Parking theft, protect to deterring thieves

Theft with or without breaking and entering a parking lot or garage has become commonplace. Do you know how many times a year your car park is visited for the purpose of scouting ? What to do in case of theft but above all how to secure access to the common car park, deter thieves and protect your garages, boxes and warehouses. This is the purpose of this article, to help you better understand the risks.

A high frequency of spotting in car parks

Every owner of car parks, garages, boxes or warehouses is one day confronted with theft. The latest fashion is to steal car parts: you arrive in the morning to leave for work and you are missing a door, wheels, or lights… Arrested thieves don’t risk much. Many websites allow you to resell parts quickly and discreetly.

Police officers interviewed confirm that parking lots and garages are visited. Just to keep track of vehicle models and colors. Several members of our club have had this unpleasant experience and dreaded it. Indeed, we have noticed that one out of two tenants think of leaving their location after a theft. With a risk of losing 50 % of your occupants, we had to advise and teach you how to secure your parking lots.

How to protect your property and deter thieves

The number one cause of burglary without a break-in is tenant turnover. When you have transient tenants, you increase the risk of misplacing or passing on access keys. In co-ownership you must obtain the agreement of the syndic before carrying out any work. If you are an owner outside the condominium, you have free rein to install different protection systems.

Shared parking : raising user awareness

En la copropiedad, lo primero que hay que hacer es convencer a los demás pIn co-ownership, the first thing to do is to convince the other owners of the risks in order to encourage preventive action. Member of the club, I invite you to read our article which explains how to analyze the solvency of a candidate tenant from the first appointment, a good selection reduces your risk of unpaid bills and worries !

In co-ownership, the most important thing is to convince other owners of the risks in order to encourage preventive action. The police reminds us that : “nothing is better than people’s vigilance”, a few simple rules can increase the level of security :

• once you have exited the parking lot, wait for the automatic door to close to prevent someone from entering. Police officers interviewed recalled that a car waiting for a door to close shows an awareness of residents and may deter some thieves,
• always lock your vehicle,
• do not leave any valuables visible in the passenger compartment,
• never leave the remote control beep or an access key in your vehicle. In the event of an intrusion you will make it easier for thugs to get out and encourage them to come back in.

The club provides you with a ready-made leaflet that you can print and display in the car park of your residence so that your neighbours can benefit from our experience.

Link between rental vacancy and flight

A study shows that there is a link between the number of offences and the rental vacancy. There are twice as many crimes committed in a car park with a vacancy rate of around 20 % as in a set of car parks with a vacancy rate of around 10 %. Encourage owners who do not use their parking spaces to rent them, they can place an ad on our site it’s free ! You can join our club to discover our solutions to reduce your rental vacancy.

Securing access

Shared car parks must meet many standards for public and private parking. Without forgetting the fire prevention standard which is by far the most restrictive, you remember it is also the one that prohibits storage in certain cases.

The fire standard requires the installation of fire safety doors with a quick release bar for faster evacuation. This is the big, little-known security loophole that offers thieves the possibility of opening it from the outside without a key. Find out about the bad experiences of our members and how they solved this problem ; consult the solutions on the forum. You can also improve the security of pedestrian access to a car park by regularly replacing the lock cylinder. We recommend the use of nickel-plated cylinders.

Another alternative is to install an electric lock, access to which is controlled by a digicode. In this case, simply enter a code on the keypad to open the door. There is even another version with a Vigik type RFID badge system. Simply present a badge to open the door.

Prevention : signs of burglars

Observe and look for suspicious signs of sightings in the vicinity of your home. If you see a drawing like the examples below, quickly notify the police. Signs of burglars are placed in discreet places : at the front door, garbage cans, mailbox, gate, wall…

Solutions to discourage small thieves

There’s nothing like a little “alarm” sticker to dissuade some ill-intentioned people. The advantage of this solution is that the investment is very low, which will create doubt among thieves. The disadvantage is that a well-informed burglar will look around several times and realise that there is no alarm. Our advice: the sticker should be clearly visible from outside your property.

Another solution is to install a dummy camera at the entrance to your property. The big advantage: a low investment that generates doubt. The disadvantage is that an experienced thief will realise that the equipment is dummy. Our advice : a dummy camera should be placed high up and in full view of the entrance. The camera should not be filming the road directly, but an entrance, to make it look realistic.

Protections to slow down the progress of a burglar

A reinforced locking system will delay the opening of the garage door. Reinforced security will slow down the progress of would-be thieves. The disadvantage is that the protection is visible, so an alert burglar will use tools to gain entry more quickly. Tip: hide the protection system behind a flap fitted to the door.

To slow down the opening of your garage door, opt for a floor anchoring system. This is a minor investment that will delay the progress of would-be thieves. The disadvantage: this protection is visible, so a well-informed burglar will use tools to get in quicker. Our advice: hide this protection system to surprise the burglar.

Likewise, opt for a security bar for your door, and the same system is available for your shutters. It’s a small investment that will delay the progress of potential thieves. The disadvantage is that thieves will have to break your door or shutters to get in, but they’ll lose time and make a lot of noise at the same time! Tip: hide this protection system to surprise the burglar.

A folding barrier to slow down vehicle movements or keep your space. The advantage: low investment to quickly block and protect an access or your car park entrance. The disadvantage is day-to-day use, as with any effective security device, the weak point is the opening and closing time. Important: the robustness of this element depends on how well it is fixed to the ground.

Passive surveillance

A wireless infrared surveillance camera to monitor your home. Advantage: reasonable investment to monitor and provide evidence in the event of an attack, break-in or theft. A fixed surveillance angle is the main disadvantage unless you opt for a motorised camera. Place several cameras inside and outside your home or the area to be protected.

A complete video surveillance system for monitoring your entire home. Equipped with a recorder with an archiving function for up to 16 days for 8 infra-red cameras (for example). The disadvantage of this system is that initial installation can take some time. Our advice: think carefully about the location of the cameras inside and out. You need to get the best angle of vision without filming public areas.

💡 Did you know that : The use of a video surveillance device is very regulated. You must put up a display to warn the public of the presence of cameras. Make a declaration to obtain the agreement of the syndicate of co-owners if you are in a co-ownership. It is forbidden to film private areas such as apartment or garage doors. To simplify matters, you can always opt for a dummy camera !

Active surveillance

A complete alarm system with siren and GSM alert to protect your home. The big advantage is that you have a 100% autonomous alarm system that monitors and protects your property. Our advice: think carefully about where to place the detectors when you install it, or get professional advice.

The best defense is offense

This well-known proverb does not represent reality. You should opt for passive solutions that will never put you in danger. Anti-burglary smoke systems can create a thick fog and block all visibility in just a few seconds. Don’t take any chances with burglars. Don’t intervene yourself – your life is more valuable than any material asset !

What to do if your car or parts are stolen

The first thing to do as soon as you notice a theft is to contact the police station. Opt for the brigade closest to the scene of the incident to ask them to come and take a look. You will start a multi-stage police procedure.

Officers are sent to the site to make initial findings. Collect your testimony and possibly conduct a neighbourhood survey. A forensic scientist will take evidence and fingerprints in the hope of finding the criminals on file. Finally, you must go to the police station or the gendarmerie to file a theft complaint.

How to obtain compensation

In case of theft, your vehicle insurance will compensate you. First of all, check that your insurance contract includes coverage against theft. It is present in all all-risk contracts, but optional in third-party contracts. Don’t forget that the latter is only valid for burglary. Once you have filed a theft claim, you must report the loss to your insurer by mail, e-mail or telephone to initiate compensation proceedings.

Don’t forget to send supporting documents: photos, theft report to the police. Be careful, you only have 2 days to report this claim to your insurer. After this period, you will no longer be able to claim compensation.