Homeless Encampments and Property Security

In January 2023, a record-high of 653,104 people experienced homelessness on a single night which is more than a 12.1% increase over the previous year. 

There are several social and economic factors that contribute to homelessness, and providing a security response that is proportionate to the challenges your business faces can be hard to figure out.

Below, we have outlined some key advice to support you with the security challenges presented to properties related to homeless encampments

We also outline how deploying surveillance units to a property can help safeguard against a range of security and safety challenges.

What are Homeless Encampments?

Homeless encampments are temporary housing facilities for those who are homeless. Often made of tents, they can extend across large areas and in public spaces. 

Especially as homelessness figures are only showing to increase, encampments are becoming more common across various States.

However, with this come issues such as loitering, panhandling, and substance usage, all of which can detract from customers' experiences and staff safety. In some cases, the heightened prevalence of homelessness will correlate with an increase in theft and vandalism.  

How Does Homeless Loitering Affect Your Business?

Although homeless encampments can create various challenges for properties, particularly commercial buildings, loitering tends to be the largest issue presented to them. 

Loitering on your property can create an environment that feels both hostile and unsafe, with it being a difficult matter to face due to its sensitive nature and business impact.

However, poor management surrounding this security challenge can lead to knock-on effects to your business:

1. Reputational Damage
2. Reduce employee morale and attendance 
3. Discourage clientele from using your business or entering your property

Not addressing such issues allows them to spiral and worsen, creating loss of custom, loss of revenue, and increasing problems for your property if homeless encampments continue to grow around it.

5 Tips to Prevent Homeless Loitering on a Commercial Property

There are a few things as business owners that you can implement to stop homeless people loitering or panhandling on your property:

Place Prohibition Signs Around the Premises

Implementing signage that communicates the prohibition of loitering and panhandling ensures individuals understand the risks of such actions and the response associated with the illegality of it.

Consider placing signage around various points of your property perimeter so that it is visible across multiple locations. This is particularly useful for large commercial properties where there is an increased risk of homeless encampments due to the location size. 

Lock Any Entry Points, Associated Outbuildings, and Storage Areas

The safety of your building and any potential employees occupying it is paramount to the reputation of your business and duty of care responsibilities. 

Therefore, when the property is unoccupied you should lock all entry points, associated outbuildings, and storage areas to avoid any unauthorised access. We would also recommend locking these when the building is in use where possible to minimise risk in general.

Utilize Security Lighting

Lighting may seem counterproductive in relation to security, however motion-sensored lighting can be beneficial for protecting your property.

Security lighting will respond to movement, therefore if motion is detected, the lighting will be activated and the individuals’ identities will be made visible. This helps to discourage any criminal activity that could take place on your property, especially at nighttime where security risks are heightened. 

Avoid Interacting with Any Homeless Encampments

Due to the social and economic factors related to homelessness, interacting with individuals faced with this may feel natural and supportive, however, where possible it is best to keep interaction minimal.

This helps to discourage encampments around and on your property as donating money or engaging with them could lead to a sense of security being provided to them.

You can still support homeless individuals through charities and organisations by donating or volunteering if you wish to do so, however, it is safer not to take this into your own hands.

Secure Your Parking Lot

Parking lots present numerous security risks due to how vast in size they can be and with this, there are common crimes associated with parking lots that you need to be aware of on your property.

The best method to combat homeless encampments in your parking lot is to implement appropriate security measures to prevent this such as, installing surveillance cameras. 

As much as security should be used to prevent any homeless encampments and any incidents that could arise from this, there may be some challenges that as a business you require support with.

Injury or death on your property could result in financial liability for your business, therefore, in instances where support is required, contact Law Enforcement as they are best equipped for these types of situations.

This is where installing a mobile surveillance unit, like a LotGuard PRO Surveillance Trailer, comes into play; as a business, you can monitor your property remotely for any loiterers and quickly deal with the situation by alerting the authorities to the property.

LotGuard: The Best to Protect your Property from Homeless Encampments

LotGuard has been specifically designed to increase safety, security, and situational awareness around properties and parking lots. 

Our surveillance technology is backed by a team of security professionals who remotely monitor cameras 24/7 for criminal activity. 

Essentially, they are your virtual security guards, with the added advantage of always being awake, on guard, and available at a fraction of the cost of human guards.

Our cameras allow for immediate, proactive crime prevention. If a threat is detected, our security team immediately reviews the footage to verify the alarm, then takes the appropriate action to deter any loiterers or crime in action, and where necessary will call Law Enforcement.

Another feature of LotGuard is the audio voice-down with blue light feature, which can automatically or manually talk to people on your property through the speakers by asking them to leave the premises or warn them that Law Enforcement has been dispatched.

Explore our Full Guide on Parking Lot Surveillance Cameras

Installing LotGuard outside your business is a great way to deter and deescalate homeless loitering on your property and crime in general.

Our Surveillance Trailers are a powerful visual deterrent. If someone sees our 20ft mobile surveillance unit with up to 4 pole cameras fitted monitoring the area around your property, they will be less likely to utilize it for illegal purposes.

It can be installed in 20 minutes, providing immediate security for your property and its parking lot, and it is fully portable too, so can be moved to a new location if your needs change.

With LotGuard, it is entirely self-sufficient - you don’t need to provide mounting poles for the surveillance cameras, and there’s no need for onsite power or internet connectivity.

We work to offer customized camera profiles that ensure your property is fully secured without the risk of compromise for you.

At LotGuard, our experts are happy to help you select the most appropriate system for your property needs to help reduce any security challenges posed by homeless encampments.

Contact LotGuard Today