Parking Lot Surveillance Cameras: Your Complete Guide

Parking lots are vulnerable locations for car accidents, crime, and loitering, with 20% of all car accidents happening in parking lots. 

They also attract criminals due to their often vast space, abundance hiding spots, and high traffic volume. Crime types can vary from personal property and vehicle theft to violent crime and parking lot takeovers.  

Factors like an assumed lack of security, attractiveness as a target, and profitable outcome all contribute to parking lots remaining popular targets for criminals. 

And unfortunately, they’re not wrong, many parking lots still lack the security required to protect vehicles, their property, and any persons utilizing their lot. 

In this article, we explore parking lot surveillance cameras, their importance, features to look out for, commonly asked questions, their benefits, and real-world examples of them in action. 

Are Parking Lot Surveillance Cameras Necessary?

There are several measures parking lots can deploy to reduce themselves as a target for crime or accidents, which do not involve surveillance cameras. .

Key suggestions for for boosting your parking lot security include:

• Installing lighting across your lot

• Implementing access control like security guard units 

• Add perimeter fencing

• Ensure clear walkways for pedestrian safety

• Place clear signage throughout the parking lot

• Maintain any vegetation on-site to prevent hiding spots

Whilst these measures will discourage criminals, they aren't enough to effectively prevent crime in your parking lot. 

That’s why the most important step you can take in preventing parking lot crime is installing visible surveillance cameras.

Unlike traditional methods, surveillance cameras keep watch over your lots and properties, helping prevent break-ins, vandalism, and theft. Their presence is 24/7, helping to cover times where your lot’s security is most at risk.

They are the most proven and cost-effective step you can take to reduce crime and loitering on any commercial parking lot.

Surveillance cameras not only allow you to respond to security breaches in real-time, but also act as a deterrent to opportunist criminals.

The simple presence of parking lot surveillance cameras will, in most cases, persuade a criminal to move on from your site. This visible deterrence can be enhanced by installing warning signage, highlighting their monitoring.

If a crime does still occur, the recorded footage from surveillance cameras provides digital evidence that can be used for law enforcement investigations, enabling the identification of perpetrators, and decreasing your business's legal liability.

This also supports any vehicle and/or pedestrian incidents, gathering footage to help with any investigations by parking lot users, whilst protecting yourself against liability claims. 

Advanced camera technology like remote monitoring services and AI-video analytics help transform parking lot surveillance from reactive to proactive prevention. Actively monitoring and responding in real-time to threats to stop any crime or dangerous behavior in the act. 

What Features Does My Parking Lot Surveillance Camera Need?

Having surveillance cameras in your parking lot will undoubtedly boost security, but deciding which camera to use may be overwhelming given the range of options.

At LotGuard, we have designed our mobile surveillance units specifically for parking lot security applications, and below, we list some key features you should be looking for and their benefits

• High-Definition Video: Parking lots may be dark, and with vast areas to cover, crimes may occur far away from where your cameras are placed. Because of this, high definition cameras are critical to securing evidence of the required quality to aid law enforcement. Look for PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) capabilities and zoom-in technology to ensure maximum camera coverage.

• Solar Power Options: It's wise to look for a supplier who can provide solar-powered camera units, as a fixed power supply may not be available where your cameras most need to be deployed. At LotGuard, our Surveillance Trailers and Pole Cameras both feature solar capability, allowing for autonomous deployment if required. 

• Mobile and Rapid Deployment: The dangers to parking lots will change and develop, therefore any parking lot surveillance units need to be flexible to manage these appropriately. Look for units that offer plug and play capability and relocatable design as this means it can be installed quickly to provide instant security and relocated if needed

• Cellular Connectivity: It's unlikely you will have cabled internet or Wi-Fi reaching out into your parking lots, so a self-contained surveillance device with built-in cellular video transmission technology is essential.

• Remote Access: Being able to access your surveillance cameras 24/7 from any device is vital to staying connected. Ideally, live video feed should be accessible via a mobile app and desktop viewing software, allowing you and your teams to keep watch of your cameras on demand at any time, from any device. 

• Edge Recording Capability: Your parking lot surveillance cameras should do more than just live stream; they should store video for retrospective review and investigation. This should also be facilitated by local storage rather than using a device that off-loads video clips to the cloud. Utilizing edge-based (local) recording means you can access the footage you need much quicker, without any latency caused by third-party connections to the cloud. 

• Infrared (Night Vision): Most parking lot crimes are likely to occur under cover of darkness, so your chosen security camera must have a powerful, smart IR function. With LotGuard’s cameras, this technology allows them to see up to 200ft even in total darkness and harsh conditions, so there's nowhere to hide for criminals.

• Video Analytics: Surveillance cameras with video analytics help to enhance the quality and coverage provided by your unit. To ensure true proactive crime prevention at your parking lot, AI-driven video analytics should be fitted in your cameras to help identify suspicious behavior or movement like loitering.

• Additional Enhancement Features: Consider your parking lot’s unique requirements when deciding upon a parking lot surveillance solution. Companies offering additional features like LPR and smart surveillance provide the ability to cater security specific to you, but also innovation for the future. 

Do I Need Remote Video Monitoring Services With my Parking Lot Surveillance?

Remote video monitoring involves a team of security professionals at a monitoring center actively watching for alerts from the surveillance cameras, this could be suspicious behavior or an emerging threat.

They will verify these alerts, and, if they are an active threat, they will initiate a remote crime prevention process that includes issuing a live audio challenge, triggering sirens, and calling keyholders, security team or local law enforcement.

But do you need this service? The presence of a surveillance camera is often enough of a deterrent to criminals, and if a crime does occur then, you have all the high-quality video evidence stored on the device. 

The actual value of remote video monitoring is that it allows for crime prevention. 

Suppose a surveillance camera does not deter a criminal; a live audio challenge from a remote operator informing them that law enforcement has been dispatched is highly likely to stop them in their tracks.

This prevents your lots and properties from being affected by damage or loss, meaning no rising insurance premiums and no aftermath to deal with.

Finally, remote monitoring service means no late-night call outs for you to deal with; you can rest easy knowing a team of security professionals are always awake, always on guard, and always protecting your parking lots. 

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Is Remote Video Monitoring Expensive?

Cost is a crucial consideration for many businesses. That is a significant reason why video surveillance cameras and remote monitoring services are becoming increasingly popular -  they are significantly cheaper than utilizing security guards.

Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage of a security guard was $38,390 in 2024 and that number goes up if you have to cover holiday periods or you want an armed guard.

A LotGuard unit, complete with video monitoring services, can offer savings of up to 85% compared with the cost of using a security guard.

There are, of course, pros and cons to using surveillance cameras vs guards beyond just the price point. At LotGuard, we would generally recommend a blended approach to security and suggest you augment the reach of existing guards with surveillance cameras.

Cameras make the work of guards more efficient, amplifying and enhancing their reach by giving them eyes on multiple areas around the parking lot.

Guards can even talk down to people in the lot through speakers while viewing them live on camera, letting them know they are being recorded.

Do I Need to Install a License Plate Recognition (LPR) Camera?

License plate recognition (LPR) cameras can significantly enhance your parking lot surveillance cameras.

They automatically scan the plates of all vehicles that enter or exit your lots (night or day, in all weather conditions) and link footage to the plate number of the vehicle recorded.

This allows users to identify every vehicle that enters and exits their parking lot and simplifies the process of access management.

An LPR camera can help you automate which vehicles can access your parking lots and make the process of identifying offenders much easier. 

This two-fold benefit has made LPR cameras an extremely popular customization feature of the LotGuard camera range. With the support of our in-house platform, Stellifii, you’re able to view live video feeds, LPR reporting, and recorded footage within one secured space.

This helps to minimize the need for multiple suppliers, keep data safe, and identify suspicious activity with vehicles and people. 

Do I Need Surveillance Cameras With Video Analytics?

Intelligent or 'smart' surveillance cameras can automatically analyze video surveillance footage with limited or zero human intervention.

Our units can be supplied with edge video analytics software that provides automated detection of intruders, loitering, vehicular violations, and more, meaning cameras don't have to be continually monitored for activity. 

The video analytics setup is easy to configure and allows users to create a virtual perimeter around their parking lots.

When the video analytics platform detects an intrusion, an alarm is raised either directly to our partner monitoring station, who verifies the threat and then takes swift action to protect your lot.

We can even provide intelligent thermal analytics, which allows for advanced detection and classification.

Although not essential, video analytics may be highly beneficial in enhancing the effectiveness of your security cameras, and should be considered in particular for parking lots with heightened risks like retail lots, campus spaces, and vacant properties.

Real-World Examples of LotGuard’s Parking Lot Surveillance Solutions

Every parking lot presents unique challenges, from preventing car crime to property vandalism and theft, and surveillance cameras are the best solution to ensuring this. 

At LotGuard, we have over 20-years of experience in parking lot solutions and understand the challenges presented to them. 

Having deployed mobile surveillance units across multiple industries, we delve into a few real-world examples to help build understanding around how they’ve supported businesses and how they can support you. 

Goodwill Industries Retail Store

One of the Goodwill Industries stores in Kentucky found they were attracting crime within their surrounding environment. Particularly crime relating to theft, vandalism, encampments, and occasional drug usage.

In response, the Goodwill Industries store deployed one of our LotGuard PRO Surveillance Trailers in their parking lot, in hopes of reducing the security risks they were posed with.

Since the deployment, the Goodwill Industries store noted an improvement in the amount of criminal activity taking place within that location. 

This has allowed for a safer, friendlier space for those working there and has protected valuable stock that is used to benefit the local community through its profits. 

David Ethington, the Senior Manager of Security and Loss Prevention even labeled it a “win” when sharing his response, further stating that “It is going well.”

Lithia Motors Auto Dealership

Lithia is one of America's largest automotive retailers featuring most domestic and import franchises. Their stores serve urban and rural populations throughout the United States.

With over 100,000 vehicles within their inventory, there's plenty of choice for the consumer which is why Lithia have turned to LotGuard to secure their highly valuable assets and prevent unwanted intruders onto their premises.

A Lithia Motors dealership had faced significant security challenges, including issues with homeless individuals loitering on the property, vandalism, and vehicle break-ins.

These security concerns not only posed a threat to their valuable inventory but also affected the overall sense of safety and comfort for their customers and employees.

The Lithia dealership deployed a LotGuard Pro mobile solar surveillance trailer to address these security challenges.

Since the deployment, Lithia Motors has experienced a significant improvement in security at the specific dealership. All issues related to homeless loitering, vandalism, and vehicle break-ins have been effectively prevented.

Moose Pohyar, the General Manager of Lithia Motors said: "I highly recommend. Affordable and a 24/7 watchdog for our location."

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LotGuard: The USA's Leading Parking Lot Surveillance Cameras

LotGuard surveillance units are designed to provide parking lot and dealership security. They detect, deter, mitigate, and report criminal activity and provide 24/7 security.

The units feature built-in video analytics capable of detecting loitering and other criminal behavior. When coupled with our live video transmission, it enables remote crime prevention. 

Every LotGuard has an HD infrared camera capable of recording crystal clear evidential images even in the lowest lighting conditions, allowing our remote operators to dispatch law enforcement and capture usable video for review.

The PTZ cameras allow full site coverage, and our units are fully enabled to be deployed at your premises regardless of power availability.

We can customize the camera profile of LotGuard, so it meets the exact requirements of your parking lot.

This includes IR PTZ cameras, thermal cameras, license plate recognition cameras (LPR), and four-way multisensor cameras, all capable of delivering live and recorded footage through 4G/5G LTE technology.

Ready to learn more about how LotGuard can protect your parking lots?

Call our team today!