What is the value of human life? Can you put a price tag on it? Well, technically, no. But for insurance or liability purposes, yes. Everything has a price tag or value.

What is the value of your parking security system? Chances are no way near what you spent on the other parts of your facility. Why? Is it less important?

Experts believe that security budgets allotted to parking lots and garages linger around the 10 - 15 percent range.

According to research, parking lots now are the leading location where crimes committed on a property lead to a lawsuit. Multi-unit residential properties are the type of business most often sued in premises security liability cases, according to the study "Major Developments in Premises Security Liability II," by Liability Consultants Inc., Sudbury, Mass. Commercial industries and restaurants place second and third.

The majority of verdicts reported in the latest study were defense verdicts and the distribution of awards has decreased.

One of the reasons that a majority of the verdicts were for the defense may well be that property owners and managers are being more proactive in their crime prevention efforts. The study notes that "the ability to articulate the elements of a 'reasonable' security program is certainly more defensible in the event of a premises security lawsuit."

The study carefully analyzes where crimes on property are leading to lawsuits and what factors appear to contribute to finds of liability as well as non-liability. Inadequate security claims remain steady despite attempts by the business community to reduce their risk. As defendants are prevailing in more cases and when liability is found, the awards on average are less.

This is just the beginning of a long list of potential locations that includes airports, car rental companies, nightclubs, schools, hospitals, hotels, etc.

According to the study, assault and battery was the most common type of crime leading to inadequate security claims, at about 42 percent of all crimes.

According to Sam Shanes, executive vice president, Talk-A-Phone, Chicago, "The parking industry has taken very seriously the legal as well as business challenges raised by liability for criminal and non-criminal activities on the premises, as well as by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)."

Shanes adds that parking facilities always have their own challenges and those larger facilities such as medical centers, college campuses and shopping malls add some of their own as well. The main challenges in a parking facility are to address two, somewhat different situations.

Combating the Stats

First, there is the "emergency" issue; whether it is a strict security problem or a medical emergency taking place within the parking facility. How does the person in the garage quickly obtain outside help (which may well be off-site)? And can they generate a local, visual signal so that anyone else in the facility will know that assistance is needed? The added benefit of the visual signal is drawing attention to that location. If the problem is a robbery or assault, the perpetrator may flee, ending the attack.

The second problem is servicing someone with a problem. For example, someone parking in the facility may return to their car to find a dead battery, flat tire or other problem. In addition, a visitor to the facility may find that although they were certain they knew where they put their car that morning, they can no longer find it that night in the multi-story, double helix deck. That visitor is in need of, and might well be very appreciative of, some friendly assistance.

Technology in Action

Video surveillance, access control and intercom systems are the three main cogs in the security wheel. Actually, the integration of all three can be done. Also, proper lighting is essential to security.

"In private and public garages, if there has been an incident involving risk in the past, customers will look elsewhere to park. Businesses run the risk of losing clientele. When those spots aren't filled, they lose money. For the amount of money it takes to put a reasonable system in, it will increase their overall bottom line," says Larry Butsch, a recognized security products expert.

"Our single most important aspect of our company's approach is the full integration of audio and video technologies," says Michael J. Upp, vice president of business development, Westec Interactive, Irvine, Calif. "The significant advantage of having a fully integrated system is that we can see and hear everything that is going on at the site, both inside the facility and out in the parking lot, and intervene where it is appropriate. This means that we can get rid of undesirable elements like, loiterers, panhandlers, customers getting accosted/harassed and parking lot fights by announcing over the speaker that the premises are being watched and taped."

Some of the key things to look for when creating an interactive security system:

• The key issues the system needs to address, i.e. the customer's needs;
• Number of cameras and speaker/microphones;
• Location of cameras and speaker/microphones;
• Are Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) cameras required?;
• Potential areas of noise interference; and
• Quality and levels of lighting.

"Camera technology has become so much better that we can deal with lower light situations. Increased technology in CCD cameras can go down to zero lighting. You have day and night cameras and these can be found in a fixed camera version or these can be found in PTZ. The PTZ cameras today are so much more intelligent. The lensing capabilities go from 4 mm to 192 mm with crystal clear digital pictures on them. And you go from a standard resolution color to a high-resolution low-light B/W camera automatically. So when the lighting level is not available, the camera will convert itself over to the best possible picture," says Butsch.

Emergency phones can provide that communication link that gives the patron both a sense of enhanced security as well as an important capability in the event of a true emergency.

Back to School

Education and training of security personnel is a great way to increase security efficiency. "It even goes beyond that. The end user is involved in the design. You should have a strong understanding as to what your security risks can be and are," says Butsch.