Incidents of loitering on commercial properties, in parking lots, and public spaces have not only increased in recent years, there has been a marked growth in more violent and unpredictable instances. How can we assist with deterring loitering and improving community protection?
Loitering on commercial properties negatively affects businesses.
Many commercial businesses face the issue of protecting their properties overnight and after-hours, when they are more vulnerable to loitering, trespassing, and more serious crime. Incidents of loitering may seem innocuous at first, but they can soon devolve into illegal activity and violence. Many individuals use these commercial parking lots as a place to carry out illegal activity because of the lack of staff and security presence on-site, leading to major concerns for businesses.
A recent study conducted by the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce in Saskatchewan illustrated the struggles that local businesses are facing due to an increase of loitering on their properties. Many respondents to the study stated they have increased concerns for the safety of their employees and properties after-hours, and the resulting statistics are startling. 82% of respondents say they have experienced incidents of loitering and trespassing, 56% experienced theft, and 56% experienced violence on their properties. Of the businesses who responded to the study, over 68% say they have called Police within the last 12 months. (1)
In Ontario, the Provincial government is taking incidents of loitering in parking lots very seriously by extending the legal definition of a highway to include these lots, and tackle cases of careless driving and late night car rallies. This law will allow Police to enforce highway driving offenses in parking lots and public spaces such as malls and plazas. Previously these properties were considered private under the law and thus not subject to the same driving laws. Police say that they have been responding to an increased number of calls at retail parking lots, and previous charges of misbehaviour were not effective enough to deter incidents of loitering. (2)
Police grapple with increased incidents of loitering and unwanted behaviour.
Incidents of loitering have continued to plague businesses across the province, as they become increasingly violent and more unpredictable. In October 2024, Peel Regional Police laid hundreds of charges after reports of “lawlessness” at a Brampton, ON mall parking lot. The illegal activity included loitering, large nuisance gatherings, dangerous driving, loud exhaust & stereo systems disrupting the peace, and more. The activity warranted increased Police presence on-site, where they laid 322 provincial driving charges and impounded over 20 vehicles. (3)
The incidents in Brampton are not isolated, as other commercial parking lots in the area have also been the sites of unwanted behaviour. In August 2024, a large brawl broke out in front of a mall property in Mississauga, ON (4). The parking lot has seen continued illegal activity, and Police have been carrying out Strategic Enforcement Operations near the mall in an attempt to quell the activity. Police laid 70 charges on the first night of enforcement alone, after local residents raised concerns about the serious hazards to the community. (5)
Furthermore, in November 2024, Montreal Police responded to an incident of arson on a commercial property parking lot. Six cars were set on fire in the early morning hours before businesses were open, and understandably, the businesses were very concerned for their properties. (6)
Through our proprietary security technology and Live Remote Video Monitoring, we’ve developed an improved method for loitering prevention.
How can we help deter loitering on your commercial property?
Artificial Intelligence improves detections
Our proprietary artificial intelligence platform, syncroAI, has taken the guess work out of crime deterrence – allowing our Remote Video Monitoring team to make more accurate and effective detections than ever before. Artificial intelligence differentiates human movement from other movement on-site – vehicles, inanimate objects, and inventory. Once detected by artificial intelligence, our Monitoring Team will assess the situation, and suspects can be deterred from loitering on your property when required.
Video Security Units provide a bird’s eye view of your property
Commercial properties and their parking lots require a robust solution that covers all the angles and assists with loitering prevention. Our Video Security Units are a complete package of camera technology and proactive deterrents. The inclusion of two stationary cameras establishes perimeter coverage and situational awareness, providing a fixed view of occurrences on-site. A dedicated PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera zooms in on important details in high-resolution. We can install multiple units to cover all the angles – leveraging our proprietary cellular LTE+ platform to create a wireless security grid of proactive protection.
Live Remote Video Monitoring provides effective loitering prevention
Our Live Remote Video Monitoring team deter crime before it happens, capturing incidents of loitering in real-time. They will issue proactive deterrents to inform would-be loiterers that their actions on the site are prohibited, and the site is off-limits and to move along. They accomplish this by utilizing loud voice commands and bright LED strobe lights to send the message that no loitering is allowed on the property. If suspects don’t desist in their actions, our team will alert Police to attend the scene.
syncroReports is your complete portal for security reporting
Full access and transparency for your property is available at any time, day or night, with the power of syncroReports at your fingertips. Available on both web and mobile, syncroReports allows you to watch live video feeds, PTZ control, view log reports, license plate database, and more. With syncroreports on your side, you can have peace of mind that loitering is being proactively prevented on your property.
When loitering becomes a concern on your property, we can help provide a layer of protection around commercial parking lots to help deter unwanted behaviour.
Resources:
- “Chamber survey finds loitering/trespassing to be top issue for local businesses”, Tracey Moody, Discover Moose Jaw, October 25, 2024
- “Ontario police getting new powers to deal with car rallies in mall parking lots”, Isaac Callan & Colin D’Mello, Global News, November 1, 2024
- “Ontario police lay hundreds of charges in crackdown at ‘lawless’ mall parking lot”, Jack Laundau, blogTO, October 2024
- “Police break up violent Ontario brawl allegedly involving TikTok personality”, Jack Landau, blogTO, August 2024
- “Ontario cops crack down on problematic mall parking lot with over 70 charges laid”, Jack Landau, blogTO, September 2024
- “Six cars set ablaze in suspicious fire in Montreal parking lot”, Global News, November 3, 2024
- Peel Regional Police, X.com/PeelPolice, October 25, 2024