A plaza is an open public space like the city square or a business square. Since, it is a public space, you will find many people visit it. If a plaza is not taken care of, it will become a focal point for criminal gangs to hang out or drug dealers to set up shop.
Whether it is the city or business square, the management has a responsibility to clean up crime at the plaza.
If you are part of the plaza management, here’s what you can do.
Make sure it’s Well Lit
Unlit and dark areas in your plaza encourage crime. When the sun goes down and evening arrives, criminals use the badly lit areas in the plaza to conduct activities. It could range from running a drug business to even mugging an innocent person.
However, by ensuring there are sufficient well-lit lamps in the plaza, you make these criminals feel exposed. This feeling of being exposed is a big deterrent to preventing crime. You can install a timer on your lights so the switch on or off as necessary.
Keep it Tidy
Cleanliness level of your plaza will attract that kind of crowd. A trashy plaza will attract trashy people, while a clean and tidy on will attract good people. Ensure you install sufficient dustbins in the plaza and post no littering signs around.
Install a Surveillance System
A surveillance system constantly watches over your plaza. If ever a crime does take place, you have a video recording of it. This can be used by the investigating agency to find the culprits. You have several eyes watching the plaza at once. This way you can watch over the video feed from inside your store or office without having to step outside. It gives you constant awareness of what’s happening. A good surveillance system will even allow you to look at the feed when you’re out of the office.
Have Security Guards Present
One of the best’s ways to enhance your plaza security is to hire security guards. Having a surveillance system or well lit and tidy plaza is not enough. A security guard takes charge of the situations and ensures that criminal activities don’t take place. Furthermore, they are trained to communicate well enough so that the criminal leave the area without causing any trouble. If any conflict does take place, the security guard will be the one who will prevent it from escalating to physical violence.
If criminal activity does occur, the security guard can apprehend the criminal and hand him over to the police. This will certainly discourage the criminal from ever returning there. Plus, a well lit plaza with a surveillance system will help do his job better.
Discourage Criminal Activities from Store Owners
One reason why criminals may be visiting the plaza is because of the store owners. Some store owners might be taking part in illegal activities. Ensure that this is not happening.
Edmonton does not have the lowest crime rate in the country. By ensuring you take these steps, you significantly reduce the chances of crime occurring.
