Short answer: When someone is hurt or property is lost on your premises, one of the questions that can come up is whether the business took reasonable precautions. Broken cameras, dark parking lots, known problems left unfixed and no record of who had access can all make that harder to answer. Keeping systems working, fixing known issues and keeping records puts you in a better position, and your attorney and insurance agent can advise on your specific situation.
Where security and liability meet
We are a security company, not a law firm, so we will not tell you what the law requires in your situation. What we can tell you is that after an incident, the hard questions often come back to a handful of things that were known and not fixed.
- A parking lot light that had been out for months.
- A camera that stopped recording and nobody noticed.
- A door that did not latch, so it was left unlocked.
- A former employee who still had a key.
- Repeated trespassing or break-ins with no change in how the property was protected.
Any of those can turn a bad night into a harder conversation with an insurer, a tenant, an employee or an attorney.
Five things that help
1. Keep your equipment working, and be able to show it
Check camera recording monthly. Fix broken doors and lights promptly. Keep service records: when something broke, when it was reported, when it was fixed.
2. Respond to known problems
If your lot has been hit three times this year, the fourth time is not a surprise. Document what you did after each incident. That might be new lighting, added camera coverage, a policy change or live video monitoring so agents can talk down trespassers before something happens.
3. Control and record who had access
If something happens inside your building, being able to say who entered and when matters. Access control gives each person a credential and keeps a log of entries. Turn off access the day someone leaves.
4. Keep video long enough, and know how to export it
Claims and complaints sometimes show up weeks later. Know how long your system keeps video, and make sure at least one person knows how to find and export a clip. If retention is too short for how your business operates, increase it.
5. Keep life safety current
Fire alarm systems need regular inspection and service. Keep inspection reports and fix deficiencies when they are found.
Questions to ask yourself
- If an employee were hurt in our parking lot tonight, would we have video of it?
- Do we know about any broken lights, doors, locks or cameras right now?
- Could we produce a list of everyone who had access to the building last month?
- Has our insurer asked about security, and do we know what we told them?
Mistakes to avoid
- Putting up signs that say the property is monitored when it is not.
- Fixing a problem without writing down when and how.
- Letting video overwrite after a few days at a site where claims are common.
- Assuming your provider will notice a camera is down without being told.
How Turner Security helps
We install and service cameras, access control, alarms and fire alarm systems for businesses in Middle Tennessee and the Chattanooga area. Our help desk resolves the majority of issues remotely, and we can often schedule a technician the same day you call, which keeps the gap between "broken" and "fixed" short. We do not lock you into long-term contracts.
Frequently asked questions
Will better security lower my insurance premium?
That depends on your insurer and policy. Ask your agent directly whether they offer credits for monitored alarms, cameras or access control.
How long should we keep security video?
It depends on your business and how quickly incidents tend to come to light. Ask your attorney or insurer, then set your recorder's retention to match.
Does live video monitoring reduce risk on a parking lot?
It adds a live response: agents can speak to people on the lot and escalate to police and your contacts. That can stop situations before they turn into incidents.
Close the gaps that are easy to close
If you know about a broken camera, door or alarm right now, get it on the schedule.
To request a quote, call our Smyrna office at (615) 223-9600 for Nashville and Middle Tennessee, or our Chattanooga office at (423) 344-3787. We will walk the property with you and point out the gaps that are quickest to close.
