To operate a business efficiently you need to consult regularly with your key stakeholders and devise solutions to their problems. In our case, these key stakeholders are our clients.

Many of them operate in industries with fine margins and we appreciate their budgets can be tight. That being said, they still want the peace of mind of working with an outside security business. That’s why we devised a solution that increases their peace of mind without sacrificing on coverage.

What Does Keyholding Involve

The Secured Property Group’s keyholding service offers round-the-clock protection 365 days of the year. This specialist security service sees us hold a set of keys to a commercial premises in a secure, off-site location. We act as first responders, accessing the building in the event of an alarm or emergency situation. This ensures any situation outside the norm is dealt with by a security professional trained to handle it.

When our team member is on-site, they will look for any visible damage or signs of forced entry to the property. A full written report with all details pertaining to the situation will be submitted the next day.

The Benefits of Keyholding

Considering increasing security options at your property? Here are some of the benefits of The Secured Property Group’s Keyholding service.

Reduces Risk

Many business owners want to act as the first responder to any alarms or situations at their property, but this can potentially place them in dangerous situations. While alarms can often be innocuous, there’s always the potential for walking into a hostile situation. The Secured Property Group’s team has the knowledge and training to handle these situations.

Coverage 24/7

As business owners, we understand the importance of taking time away from the business to rest and relax. Our keyholding service grants property owners the ability to step away and take a break knowing their property is cared for in the event of any emergency situations.

Quick Response

Sometimes, it’s just not possible to respond to an alarm promptly. Life gets in the way and an alarm can go unanswered for hours before anyone can get to it. The Secured Property Group guarantees a quick response, with our controllers despatching a member of our team as soon as the alarm is raised.

Eliminates Confusion

Depending on the circumstances surrounding a property, more than one individual might be a designated keyholder. Unless these individuals have a clear communication plan in place it could lead to confusion and delays if an alarm was raised. Our trained Keyholders cut through this confusion, providing a prompt and effective response at all times.

Find Out More

Interested in finding out how The Secured Property Group’s Keyholding service can help protect your property? Get in Touch and let’s discuss your individual needs.

Each of the services offered by Secured Property Group adheres to the principle of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). We believe this policy allows our team to holistically care for the welfare of our clients’ property, offering benefits to value, efficiency and effectiveness.

A question we often hear from clients is – what exactly is crime prevention through environmental design? In this blog, we’re going to answer that question while explaining some of the benefits it offers.

What is Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design?

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design is a set of principles that discourages crime by creating an environment hostile towards criminal behaviour. For hundreds of years, buildings have been designed to prevent damage from weather and natural disasters; why not crime too?

The basic principles of CPTED are founded on anticipating the common behaviours of criminals and attempting to create an environment that discourages their actions. Through years of experience in the security field, we’ve found most crimes are crimes of opportunity. Removing this opportunity has a dramatic effect on reducing criminality. 

Improving Security Through CPTED

The good news is, a building doesn’t have to be designed from the ground up with CPTED principles in mind to bolster security. Improvements can be made to existing buildings and staffing arrangements that quickly bring about an improvement in security. At Secured Property Group, our team achieves this in several ways:

• Natural Surveillance
• Access Control
• Boundary Reinforcement
• High Maintenance Standards

Let's quickly run through how each of these aspects of CPTED makes a difference in building security.

Natural Surveillance

Criminals love to operate in a quiet and discreet environment where they can’t be seen. They flock to areas of a property where they can hide from view and also make a quick escape. While carrying out an audit of your building security, small changes to areas such as lighting, landscaping and installation of CCTV cameras can act as a powerful deterrent. After all, if a person feels like they’re being watched, they’re less likely to engage in illegal activity.

Access Control

By clearly marking the approaches to buildings and funneling visitors into a defined area, it’s possible to remove any ambiguity surrounding who should be where within a property. Avenues for a quick entrance and escape are some of the first things a criminal will look for. Ensure any vulnerable points – such as cash registers, coat check etc. – are hidden behind maze entrances. Cut off straight-line access to these potential targets and it makes them much less attractive. This idea also extends to windows and doors, which should be reinforced with deadbolts and security railings in places of high vulnerability such as the ground floor.

Boundary Reinforcement

Boundary reinforcement involves creating a clear difference between the private and public parts of the building. If sensitive areas of the building can only be accessed via keycards, it creates a sense of ownership among legitimate occupants. Intruders will find it hard to access sensitive areas of the building. And, if they manage to get in, they won’t be able to blend in. Any visitors who are legitimately allowed into private areas should receive a staff escort. Also, ensure staff have an easy and quick way to report any suspicious individuals.

Maintenance

An underrated aspect of CPTED is property maintenance. We train all our team members to act as the eyes and ears of a building while carrying out property maintenance. These individuals are typically the first to notice if something seems wrong. Properly maintaining a building also shows property managers are watchful and care about their building. We’ve noticed that a vandalized area offers an open invitation for higher levels of crime. 

Find Out More

Interested in hearing how Secured Property Group’s focus on CPTED can help protect your property? We’re standing by to assist with any aspect of your property management needs. Contact Us and let’s chat.