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How to Prevent Car Break-ins at an Apartment Complex

Car Break-ins, Auto Theft, and Multi-family

5 Mins

Car break-ins pose a significant challenge for multifamily apartment complexes across the United States. They’re more than a quarter of ALL larceny thefts in the U.S. today. In fact there are::

  • More than 8,200 car break-ins per day
  • Two cars stolen every minute
  • Creating $7 billion in losses

And the numbers are spiking - car break-ins are up 84% YOY. San Francisco & Denver top the list for car break-ins and theft.

Quite a few of these crimes take place in the parking lots and parking garages of multifamily properties, leaving residents feeling victimized and unsafe. That can lead to residents moving out, and their poor security reviews can deter others from moving in.  Persistent theft problems can also increase liability risk for management and ownership groups. According to LegalMatch, in a number of municipalities, if your parking garage or lot is constantly vandalized or robbed, residents can cite negligent security and sue you for the losses they face from vandalism, theft, or even personal injury if they happen to encounter the thieves in the act.

The worst part is: even if you appease residents by covering the costs of damage and losses, there’s no guarantee the thieves won’t be back the next night.

Preventive Measures for Residents:

Encouraging residents to adopt proactive measures can significantly reduce the likelihood of car break-ins. Nationwide suggests:

  • Always lock your doors and roll up your windows when you park.
  • Activate your security system if you have one.
  • Consider window tinting (if permitted), since it makes casing your car more difficult.
  • Use after-market measures, like mechanisms that lock the steering wheel.
  • Don’t keep valuables in the  console or glove box as mobile lock boxes, or even worse, sitting on the seat.
  • Don't leave your car running, or your keys inside your car unattended. 

Locking the steering wheel is a particularly good idea if your car is a Hyundai or Kia, due to some critical security vulnerabilities. In some municipalities, police are giving steering wheel locks away for these vehicles.

AI Surveillance & Remote Guarding for Real Time Crime Prevention in Multi-family:

The good news is that, thanks to technology, there is a way to reduce car break-ins and theft at your apartment complex. One that offers a 98% deterrence rate on car break-ins in real time: AI Surveillance and Remote Guarding.

By adding a cloud-based AI surveillance platform to your existing video surveillance, you can transform that surveillance from a forensic tool to a real time, crime-fighting machine. Pair that with Remote Guarding for live monitoring of the AI Alerts, and you have a solution that will send 98% of would-be thieves running. And more notably, discourage them from ever returning.

Plus you can save 40% or more on your annual guard costs.

Watch Real Time Security in Action:

Check out this 30 second video to see howCloudastructure’s  AI and Remote Guarding sends thieves running.

Conclusion:

While car break-ins remain a national issue, proactive measures, coupled with advanced technologies like AI surveillance and remote guarding, can minimize their occurrence. Property managers can create a safer environment for residents by investing in real time security solutions, reduce losses and vandalism, protect themselves against liability challenges, and meet the necessary threshold for Verified Response that most municipalities are implementing before they respond to a crime. 

Interested in learning more about garage or parking lot liability? 

Watch our webinar: Ask an Attorney: Car Break-Ins, Theft, and Landlord Liability with our panel of legal experts from Offit & Kurman.

Already know you want to end car break-ins on your property?

We’re here to help. Contact us today for a free consult with a site security expert.

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