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Parking aligns with protection.

Article Excerpt
Emanuella Moise finished her work at the office and returned to the garage where she regularly parked her car. Up to that point, it had been a day like any other. But then, when she opened her car door, Moise was attacked from behind. Her assailant, a 20-year-old drug addict, slapped tape over her mouth, bound her hands behind her back, and tried to push her into the car and sexually assault her. She was able to escape, but not before the man got away with her purse. She suffered head and neck injuries in the process.

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Moise was traumatized by the attack. As a result, she found it difficult to continue to return to the office, which was located next door to the garage. She soon quit her job.

The attacker was eventually caught, convicted, and sentenced to twelve years in prison. In a statement to the court, the man admitted that he had been lurking in a garage stairwell the whole day, stoned on PCP, and looking for a victim.

In August 2006, Moise filed suit against the city of Stamford, Connecticut (which owned the garage), the company that employed the garage's attendants, and the attacker. The suit, still pending at press time, alleges negligence due to an insufficient number of security officers, a lack of patrols, and the absence of common security measures such as CCTV and threat assessments.

Whether the city is found liable or not, it will have had to bear the expense of the litigation and the negative publicity. The case shows the importance of attending to parking security before an incident occurs. And that's not to mention the harm to Moise that could perhaps have been avoided.

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Such incidents are, unfortunately, common occurrences because dimly lit and poorly designed parking garages have always been a hotspot for criminal activity. In fact, many victims fare much worse than Moise. To cite just one telling number, the Virginia Youth Violence Project has reported that nearly 10 percent of aggravated assault incidents that result in arrest are committed in a parking facility.

The biggest problem is that many parking structures aren't initially designed with security in mind. They lack proper structural design, lighting, surveillance, and other elements that would help prevent crime at the site. However, proper planning, design, equipment, and staffing can minimize the risks. While some security methods and technology can be costly, the protection for the company as well as its workers and patrons is priceless.

Planning

Whether a company is designing a new facility or renovating an existing garage, it is important to fully evaluate the property and surrounding area to determine the necessary security requirements. Project planners should look at area crime statistics, as well as the present and projected use of adjacent or nearby properties.

This initial stage should also address who will be using the parking facility so as to effectively design the structure and layout. At this stage, consideration must be given both to general needs and to safety and security.

The primary...